Megaton Stories
by Jay08
Summary: Set directly, after Homeward Bound, James Jr. has now found himself with new companions. Whats more, they are from his old home of Vault 101. Butch & Susie Mack must now discover just what kind of man James Jr has become over the last two years he has been in the wastes. Is he a good man, or should they have stayed in the safe walls Vault 101? (thanks to DNA-Daenar for cover)
1. Chapter 1

**So, if you are just starting off and reading this I would recommend reading my story Homward Bound, set just hours before this story. **

* * *

James, Susie, Butch, Jericho, and Dogmeat came before the town of megaton, a sight now very familiar to all but two of them. Susie and Butch stood in awe, as the metal doors slid upwards to open for them. James had not said a word since he left the Vault, and still remained deathly quiet. Jericho on the other hand, had talked non-stop since they left. Most of it mocking Butch for asking about Dragons, and some of it complaining about Dogmeat growling at him.

"That Fucken mutt keeps eye-bawling me and he'll be fucken sorry." Jericho barked, as he glared at Dogmeat with contempt.

"Yeah! Stupid dog." Butch stated, trying to remove the memory of questions about dragons from the group.

"Shut the fuck up, Vaultie!" Jericho snapped, dismissing Butch's attempts at redeeming himself.

Susie held back her panic since they left the Vault. She had so many concerns swimming around in her head that she was unsure whether or not she should voice them, under fear of persecution due to ignorance. Where was she and Butch going to live? What were they going to do? What if they were killed? What if this was a huge mistake, listening to her heart and leaving? Maybe it wasn't too late to go back, to the Vault. No, she couldn't think like that otherwise she would start hyper-ventilating, and that would show weakness. And from what she could gather from the examples of James and Jericho, weakness was not something that was tolerated out in the Wasteland.

Entering the city, James and Jericho walked down the familiar path, as they were followed by the fascinated vault dwellers. Watching them look in awe at the shanty homes made of steel, James wondered if he was this green when he first arrived in the town. That seemed like a lifetime ago, his first step into Megaton. Just having lost his home, his father, his friend, and everything he called home. A sliver of dejavu crept over him, but was quickly dismissed as a thought too depressing for the time.

It was then, that Butch and Susie noticed the most vocal attraction in Megaton. The huge bomb in the centre of the town.

"Holy shit! Is that a…a…a…a" Butch stammered pointing towards the large bomb in the centre of town.

"A bomb!" Susie shouted, as she felt fear gripping her tightly.

"Really? Where?" Jericho asked, mocking the new meat of the group.

"Right in front of you!" Butch announced, not aware he was being made a fool of by the old raider.

"Hey Kid…that always been there?" Jericho asked, trying to get a word out of the Lone Wanderer.

"It's not armed." James said, finally breaking the silence that claimed him since his departure from the Vault.

"How do you know that?! What if it just blows up one day!?" Butch blurted, voicing the shared concern between himself and Susie.

"It won't." James dismissed, almost positive it wouldn't blow up anytime soon without outside involvement.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Butch shouted getting a lot of unnecessary attention, before receiving the butt end of Jericho's shotgun to his gut.

"Because the Kid disarmed the fucken thing!" Jericho barked, no longer able to put up with the shit coming from this Vaultie.

"Really?" Susie asked, as Butch fell to his knees in pain.

"Yeah, I did." James admitted, sounding as if he deeply regretted saving this town from possible destruction.

"That's amazing…" Susie said, watching James kneel down and rub his dog's fur.

"Dogmeat…go home. Rest a little." James said, in the most compassionate tone Butch or Susie had heard him use since the Vault.

Barking, the dog ran off away from the group, presumably to return to his masters Home. James slowly rose to his feet and turned to face his comrades, new and old.

"What do we do now?" Susie asked, breaking the silence that consumed them.

"Look, I have had a long ass day. I've been shot at, held hostage, had the shit beat out of me. I think I need a drink." James explained in a harsh tone, while still sounding exhausted.

"That's what I'm talking about. Come on Vaulties, Drinks are on the Kid." Jericho announced, eager to start empting the kid's pockets.

Moriarty's bar was exactly how they left it, crappy and void of an uplifting atmosphere without james and Jericho to drink everyone but each other under the table. When the "old man" and the "kid" began a drinking contest, everyone in the bar had to participate. They would always be the only two left standing, while everyone else had either passed out or threw up. Of course, then they would break out into a fight over who can still keep drinking, and who couldn't hold their liquor.

Upon entering the bar, Butch let his presence be known as that of an outsider to not only Megaton, but the wastes in general.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING!" He shouted, as he pointed to the ghoul barman.

Feeling annoyed, James quickly slapped Butch across the head with his flesh hand as hard as he could. Susie covered her mouth in fear and shock at the sight of the man thing behind the bar, but didn't allow herself an outburst as vocal or rude as Butch's.

"Ouch!" Butch cried out, as James glared at the Leather wearing Vault dweller.

"What's the matter with you?" James asked rhetorically, walking towards the bar and barman.

"What the hell did I say?" Butch asked rubbing his head much to the delight of Jericho, whose laughter indicated a sort of enjoyment from watching Butch get hurt.

"Hey Gob, give me and the kid some whiskey…" Jericho stated, following James to the bar.

"And keep em coming, the kidz paying!" Jericho continued, as James just stared into his lap.

"Great…I'll get the blood mop." Gob said in the sarcastic manner the two wastelanders were accustomed to, much to the enjoyment of both.

James sat in silence, looking down into the abyss of his lap. Before he went back to 101, he could at least had hoped for a day he could return and leave the wasteland behind. Now he knew, there was no chance he could ever go home. He had lost everything dear to him in the last year. His father was dead, his best friend and earliest love had abandoned him, and now he was back in this shit hole of a bar. Yes, he considered Megaton his home, but there is only so many times he could tell himself that the place he lived for two years was more a home than the place he had spent 19 years. But, he had overcome worse times in his life. Darker times. He could certainly overcome this.

"Wow…I can't believe this." Butch said, as he looked around the bar.

"I know, it really takes your breath away." Susie agreed.

"Yeah." Butch stated, as a woman came down the stairs smoking a cigarette.

"This place is amazing. True society." Susie stated, wondering if she was the owner of the place.

"What? No! I mean they have booze out here!" Butch announced, pleased with the fact that there was alcohol outside the fermentation room in the vault.

"You two look new." An old man pointed out, as he approached the two.

"Who's asking?" Butch asked, stepping toward the elder.

"Colin Moriarty, at your service! Welcome to Moriarty's! My saloon, me home, my slice of heaven in this backwoods little burg." Moriarty announced, making as good an impression as one would assume the owner of such a place could make.

"Um…hi." Susie greeted, brushing her loose hair behind her ear in an attempt to look presentable to the owner.

"Pleasure to meet ya both. Might I ask what brings ya to my fine establishment in this pisshole of a town?" Moriarty asked, smirking and shaking both of the vault youths hands.

"We're from the Vault." Susie stated, much to the amusement of the old man.

"I can see that, but sad to say your gonna have to get a job if you want to be using any of my fine services." Moriarty stated, as he began eyeing Susie up and down.

Susie could feel the old man's eyes traversing her body, and didn't want to imagine what kind of "job" the old man had in mind for her.

"Moriarty!" a voice from behind the old man shouted, causing the bar to grow quiet.

James got up from his seat, swaying a little to the left as he tried to get maintain his centre of gravity. Having just knocked back five large bottles of whiskey, James was starting to feel the effects rather fast. Finding it, he began to approach the frowning bar owner.

"They came with me…"James admitted, his face now scowling with a serious frown.

"Oh really? I never would have guessed, what with the vault jumpsuits and them looking as naïve as a nun in a whore house." Moriarty stated, much to the displeasure of the young waste lander.

"Leave them alone…" James grunted, glaring at Moriarty with great drunken displeasure.

"Go back to smelling like the arse end of a whiskey bottle son, it's what ya good at." Moriarty sneered, referring to the periods James had spent at the bar in the past.

James clinched his fist, and grinded his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to beat the snot and shit out of the old man's face, but he couldn't. He would kill Moriarty if he released all his rage on the man. All the anger, all the hate, all the pain, that james had faced and controlled, since even before his return home to vault 101.

"Susie…Butch…come on." James ordered, as if he was talking to that of an enemy and not of an ally.

Susie and Butch sat to the left of James, as Jericho did not seem motivated to move from his stool. Butch could not help but stare at the bar man, and his grotesque appearance. Susie on the other hand, wondered if James was the man he seemed to be back in the vault.

"What did he mean?" Susie asked, placing her hand on James's own.

"None of your business!" James snapped, pulling his hand away from hers.

"Sorry…." Susie's stated, as James looked towards Gob.

"What do you want to drink?" James asked aloud, receiving the attention of Susie and Butch.

"I'll drink what you're having." Butch stated, trying to sound as mature as possible.

"No ya won't." Jericho intervened, objecting to Butch's request.

"Why the hell not?!" Butch asked, wanting answers from the aged man.

"Because I said so." Jericho grinned, showcasing his yellow smile before letting out a sandpaper chuckle.

"He'll take a small whiskey." James stated, sick of the petty argument.

"Susie what do you want?" James asked, turning to face her in the dim lit bar.

"Um…do they have any 101 Cola?" Susie asked, not really wanting to drink anything from this bar.

"HAH!" Jericho scoffed, looking towards the young girl who was now blushing and hanging her head.

"Fucken Vaultie through and through." Jericho continued, before returning to his drink.

It was then, that James came to the conclusion he was never that green. But it did bring a smile to his face, to be reminded of that vault product.

Good Ole Cola? Good Ole 101.

Was the slogan.

"Give her a Nuka Cola, and two more big whiskeys." James said, raising two fingers to Gob indicating the number of whiskeys he wanted.

A silence crept over the four, as they sat and waited for their drink order. James dug his hand into his pocket, and fished out his newly acquired lighter. The 101 and vault logo on the lighter, James had a small momento of his life before the wastes thanks to this little piece of stainless steel. Opting to smoke a cigarette over his newly acquired cigars, James asked Gob if he could spare one. After being handed one, much to the disgusted stares of Susie and Butch, James lit it and began smoking.

"Thanks buddy." James gratefully accepted, gaining an approving nod from Gob.

"You really gonna smoke that thing?" Butch asked, looking as if he was about to vomit if James continued to smoke the small paper tube concealing tobacco.

James pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and analysed it carefully in a mocking motion.

"Well I don't know…I was thinking about it." James mocked, before placing it back in his mouth and taking a deep drag of it.

"But….that thing…" Butch stammered, as their drinks were placed in front of them.

"Gob." James said, stating the barman's name.

"That Gob touched it." Butch continued, showing his ignorance of the wasteland.

"So?" James asked, inhaling the smoke deeply and releasing it out into the bar.

"He touched your drinks too? You still gonna drink them?" Jericho pointed out, looking at the new meat.

"What is he?" Susie asked, looking at James inquisitively.

"I'm a ghoul, honey." Gob answered, looking at her and Butch in annoyance.

"What's a ghoul?" Butch asked, not aware of just how much he had offended the bartender.

"Itz what happenz when ya pass out somewhere with a lot of radz." Jericho answered with a yellow grin, before breaking out into loud obnoxious laughter.

"So…is this what heroes do? Drink all day?" Susie asked James, not impressed by his choice of company or attitude.

This comment was quickly greeted with the sound of Jericho choking on laughter and cheap whiskey. He began coughing hysterically and wheezing, all while laughing at Susie's comment.

"She thinkz you're some kind of hero kid!" Jericho laughed, much to James's disapproval.

Jericho rolled his eyes, and continued to drink, keeping his obnoxious laughter to a snigger now. James turned to Susie, and looked at her as if she had just said something horrible to offend him. James thought long and hard about what he had to say to her, the alcohol and depressing feelings he was experiencing didn't help him come up with an answer.

"Don't make people into heroes Susie. Heroes don't exist…." James started, before lifting the bottle to his lips and downing the remainder of the bottle.

"..And if they did? I sure as hell, wouldn't be one." James finished, raising his finger to indicate another drink order.

"How can you think that way?" Susie asked, as James rolled his eyes at her innocence.

"I don't know…ask me again in half an hour." James answered, not wanting to continue this conversation.

"You know what? Maybe you want to sit in a bar all day and get drunk-"

"And I do." James interrupted, before Susie pulled the cigarette from his mouth and threw it across the bar.

"HEY!" James barked, glaring drunkenly at Susie Mack.

"But, I don't!" Susie stated, standing up from the stool and walked towards the entrance.

Stepping out onto the Balcony overlooking the disarmed bomb, Susie Mack found herself standing on the edge of the Crater of a city she barely knew. She watched from the edge at the circus below, a group of people surrounding the bomb and chanted some form of gospel. She looked to the east, and saw some rusted metal shacks that she assumed were homes. Looking to the west, she saw a building whose upper half seemed to be a crashed plane which had the word "supply" above it. The cold night air, brushed against her soft skin. She felt like shouting her desire to go home, behind the tears of regret that filled her eyes. He wasn't the man she thought he was.

"He's a lot to handle sometimes…" A voice from behind Susie emerged, startling the young vault dweller

"Huh?" Susie asked, surprised at the sudden appearance of another person.

"James, He can be too much sometimes…" She continued, hinting at some familiarity on the subject at hand.

"Yeah…*Sniff* I guess he can." Susie sniffed, not really sure if this was true or not but agreeing only so another would not see her cry.

"But ya know…he may not like to be called one. But he is a hero. Ask anyone." The women stated, leaning over the railing and looking down into the circus of believers below.

"Really?" Susie asked, feeling a form of reassurance from the presence of this woman.

"Uh-huh." The woman nodded smiling towards Susie.

"What's your name?" She asked, as a light breeze caused some of her hair to float upward for a moment revealing her pretty yet sad eyes to Susie.

"I'm Susie Mack. Nice to meet you." Susie addressed herself, putting her hand out to greet her new friend.

"Names Nova. Pleasures all mine." Nova responded, taking Susie's hand and shaking it. A new friendship formed.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So there will be a another note at the end of this story, but for now this is just a little bit of information about the different format in this story. The Italic format is used for a flashback\story telling in the chapter. What does that mean? Well it means its to be taken with a hint of Salt, as Nova and Susie are remembering the events their way. That being said, there is a lot of truth in what their saying but some of it being hidden from the stranger sitting across from Truth of the stories will come out in later chapters (not really lies just more like changing some things around and witholding information) and some of it wont. Because whats the fun in telling everyone his full backstory in one sitting. James has been gone for nearly two years, and lot can happen in two years. Thats what this story will try to explore in some detail. Anyways, Remember to R&amp;R.**

* * *

Something about this woman, made Susie feel like she could open up. Like she was talking to a big sister, or something like that. Susie always wanted a big sister. Having grown up with only brothers, she always wanted someone to talk to about girly stuff. Someone she could come to for advice, whose answer wouldn't be "I'll kick their ass".

"So, are you from his vault? Or did he just pick you up somewhere?" Nova asked, leaning over the railing overlooking those below.

"Yeah, we grew up together." Susie stated, raising an eyebrow to Nova's curiosity.

"Really?" Nova asked, taking a deep drag from her cigarette.

Susie wondered if that was something all wastelanders did, smoked. Or was it just everyone that knew James and Jericho? She certainly had little desire to start that habit.

"Um yeah." Susie responded, smiling at how amazed this made Nova.

"That's something else." Nova chuckled looking towards Susie with a smirk.

"Why?" Susie asked, concern in her tone.

"Well you got the real dirt on him then, don't ya?" Nova laughed, Susie joining in nervously.

"Come on honey, spill." Nova said, wrapping her arm around Susie.

"Spill what?" Susie asked, naïve of what she was being asked.

Susie wasn't sure what she was being asked to say, but she somehow knew that Nova wasn't asking for anything that would cause anyone harm. Nova was just asking her something out of her own curiosity. And Susie felt good, having been the one Nova asked this of.

"What was he like, you know, as a kid?" Nova asked, as she blew smoke from the corner of her mouth away from Susie.

"Oh…" Susie said, her memory rewinding back to when they were kids.

James was a completely different person two years ago, but not too different from when he was a kid. In fact, besides his physical changes, the only changes that really occurred from the moment he started schooling was that he had stopped picking his nose and hanging out with Butch.

"Well, he was always kind of a loner, shy, quiet and a little wimpy looking. He hung out with Amata a lot, but never talked to anyone else." Susie remembered aloud, rather amazed at how different he had become.

"He was always reading, or watching holo movies, or locked away in this small room he somehow got the key too. You couldn't blame him for being distant, he was bullied a lot by Butch and the other guys. And even the adults sometimes." It was at this moment Susie stopped, due to the fact Nova was in fits of laughter.

"You're shitting me! You sure, we are talking about the same guy?" Nova asked in disbelief, the thought of James being bullied and wimpy looking too much for her to handle.

"Nope that's what he was like." Susie smiled, glad someone found his change so funny.

"The guy, you called a hero!" Nova asked, trying to verify this was fact.

"Yeah!" Susie said, feeling a little like she was on trial.

"He ever get into a fight?" Nova asked, not asking about whether he was beat up or not, but when did he first start fighting back.

"I only saw him fight once…" Susie said, remembering only a few years ago outside of the classroom before the G.O.A.T exam.

"Well, go ahead tell it." Nova enthusiastically said, walking Susie over to a table and two chairs set outside the bar.

Sitting down, Susie took a deep breath and recalled the fight from years ago.

* * *

_There was about an hour to wait before Mr Brotch would show up and give the exam, and James was running late. Despite having studied almost all day and night for it, he was so nervous about taking the test, and no amount of pep talks or encouraging words made the knot in his stomach go away. He had even tried to fake illness to avoid taking the test, but unfortunately his father had not been born the day before and knew his son was faking. After a lecture about the moral obligation and duty he had to take the test and be assigned a career, James left the clinic to go to the class room. Susie was waiting outside of the room, watching her crush make fun of the Overseers princess. They would crowd around her now and again, mock her for her daddy's position and make fun of her choice in friends._

_"Get away from me you Tunnel Snakes!" Amata had shouted, hoping someone would stand up to the meanest (And only) gang in Vault 101._

_"I got a real Tunnel Snake for you Amata. Have a feel!" Butch said with a vulgar tone, grabbing her hand and placing it on his groin._

_She had quickly pulled away in disgust, shaking her hand free of any invisible germs that were present on his groin. Amata wasn't the prettiest girl in the vault. that title would have gone to Christine, however Amata was forbidden fruit to the guys. Her father was the overseer and that meant that he kept a close eye on her at all times, along with a strict no dating policy. Susie would admit, she was jealous of the attention Amata got from the guys. It was strange that the two never became the best of friends, as Susie too was a victim of an overprotective father. Her brothers even made sure that the only guys she talked to were them or the Tunnel Snakes._

_"What, you think your better than me bitch?" Butch asked, peeling his teeth to Amata._

_"You tell her Butch!" Paul encouraged, as James turned the corner and saw them._

_"Hey!" He had shouted, his voice breaking into a high pitch which made it so much less intimidating._

_"Leave her alone!" He continued as he walked over to them._

_"Or you'll what." Wally, Susie's brother, asked James, stopping the young man in his tracks._

_"Ya. Know what's good for ya 'know-it-all', and walk away." Freddie warned, causing James's face collapse into a fearful expression._

_"James, just go…I can handle these morans." Amata stated, knowing James was about to get really hurt if he did anything._

_James knew Amata was trying to protect him, but it wasn't right that she had to. Even when he was trying to protect someone, he was being protected. That ended now. Pushing his left foot forward and dropping his bag to the ground, James raised his fists nervously at the leather jacket wearing gang._

_"Oh shit. Looks like the doc's kid wants to fight." Paul laughed, causing the group and the entire class room to turn to their attention towards James._

_"Come on Paul, he isn't going to hit nobody-" Freddie said, before he was sucker punched by James._

_The entire vault grew silent, as Freddie Gomez was punched across the face and knocked to the ground by the class book worm. In a split second the rest of the gang had surrounded James, with the intent of beating him so bad his father wouldn't be able to fix him. James, however, fought back as best he could, landing a number of punches before he was beat to the cold blue floor. Spitting on the beaten body of James, Butch laughed and asked if anyone else wanted to take them on._

_"Anybody else got the balls to take me on?" Butch asked, smiling from his pedestal of victory._

_The crowd gasped in astonishment, as James rose from the ground. Susie to this day, believed she was more shocked than anyone else there. She had never seen anyone get up from such a savage beating, and what made this worse was that the weakest kid she knew got up from the hardest beating the snakes ever gave. But there was something else, something in James's eyes. Something dark and something that told her, he wasn't ready to stop fighting. It scared her a little._

_"Hey Butch! I didn't hear a bell…" James stated, as while he struggled to stand but held his fists up straight._

_"We aren't done…till I say we're done!" James barked, glaring at Butch and his fellow snakes._

_"Is he serious?" Paul asked, looking at the off balanced challenger._

_"Round two Mother fuckers!" James shouted as he lunged forward, landing a right hook on Butch before being ganged up on again._

_"Why don't you stay the heck down?" Butch asked, as he continued beating the crap out of James._

_"Because your mother hits the bottle better than you hit me!" James shouted, infuriating Butch further._

_"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Butch roared, as James continued to fight back in vain._

_Luckily for James, Mr Brotch arrived on the scene just in time to stop Butch from killing him._

* * *

"Sounds like he was a tough little bastard, even before he left the vault." Nova stated, smirking at Susie.

"What's even more amazing is he sat the G.O.A.T exam straight after that, but was rushed to the clinic before he got his result." Susie continued, thinking about how amazing he really was back then.

"Oh shit. How'd his dad feel about it?" Nova asked, curious about James Sr.'s reaction.

"I don't know…I didn't go with him to the clinic." Susie admitted, having not had the interest before in knowing what had happened after the fight.

There was a noticeable silence between the two after that. Susie felt like she had said something wrong, but knew that wasn't the case. Or at least she hoped.

"So, do you have any stories about James?" Susie asked, as if she was talking to her girlfriends back at the Vault.

Nova went silent, as she knew a lot of stories about James, but the only one she could think of was when he came back.

"Well, when he first came to the bar he ordered a water…and Jericho knocked him out for that." Nova said, remembering the first time she lay eyes on James.

"Okay…" Susie responded, disappointed at the lack of any real story behind that statement.

Nova saw that this wasn't the kind of story the young lady wanted to hear, and decided she should know about the day James came back from the Pitt instead. Problem was, now Nova had to explain the Pitt to someone who was just out of a safe haven and facing and unforgiving wasteland.

"Listen up, because I am not gonna say this story again." Nova said, leaning back in her seat and taking a deep breath.

"See there's a place called the Pitt. Fucking hell on earth. Rapists, slavers, monsters, diseases, and all the shit from your nightmares live there." Nova explained, lighting another cigarette.

"Okay…What's this got to do with James?" Susie asked, frightened at the direction this conversation was going but leaned forward on the table, listening attentively.

"Because he went there, and came back." Nova emphasised, as she began telling the story of the day James returned.

* * *

_The bar grew silent, as the scarred young man stepped towards the bar. His eyes dead, his head shaved, his leg in a splint, a broken pip-boy hanging from his wrist and his torso covered with a mixture of dust and blood. Almost nobody recognised him straight away, except for the ghoul bartender._

_"What can I get you?" Gob asked, as the bar's atmosphere returned to normal with a hint of caution surrounding the man in the stool._

_"Whiskey." James said, as he threw a small bag of bottle caps on the table._

_Gob handed the young man a bottle of whiskey, and watched as he drank the entire bottle without removing his lips from the neck. He repeated this action over the next few bottles, before Gob couldn't in all good conscious continue serving him._

_"Another..." James ordered, resting his head on the bars surface._

_"I think you have had enough" Gob advised, causing James to raise his head in disbelief._

_James just stared at the ghoul, before he stood up and began laughing. But it wasn't a funny laugh, it was a cold, frightening laugh. One that couldn't come from a sane man, and one that scared everyone sitting down._

_"It's all just a sick joke!" James shouted, as he spun around with his arms stretched apart._

_"You, me, this fucking bar! All of it's just a big game!" he shouted, making no sense to anyone else but himself._

_Pulling out his gun and firing off some shells into the air, James looked all around at the fear he was causing and then noticed Nova. The one time Jericho or Simm's were nowhere to be seen. Hell, even billy would be welcomed at this point to help calm the situation down. But no, there was only civilians, Gob, and Nova. He staggered over to her, everyone's eyes on him as he approached._

_"You know what I'm talking about…don't ya?" James asked, pushing the gun against Nova's face._

_"DON'T YOU!" He asked again, this time more aggressive in his tone._

_"You don't want to hurt anybody? Right?" Nova asked, trying her hardest not to show fear._

_James looked at her, and lowered his head for a moment. Then dropping the gun, he pulled Nova close and hugged her. Nova then realised why he was hugging her so tight, and pushing his face into her shoulder. He was crying._

_"I didn't want to do it….but I had to." He drunkenly sobbed, as she rubbed his back._

* * *

"What did he do?" Susie asked, not sure of who they were talking about anymore.

"I don't know. He still won't say. But whatever it was, he was a changed man." Nova explained, putting out the remainder of her cigarette.

"What happened then?" Susie asked, curious to see what he did next.

"He went home, and nobody saw him for a month." Nova stated, clapping her hands together in a chopping motion.

"What do you mean?" Susie enquired, confused at Nova's former statement.

"I mean he barely left his house, or talked to anyone for a month." Nova explained with a deep sigh.

"He only left to buy food and water." She continued, but quickly halted as the door to the saloon swung and a drunk James came tumbling out after it.

He lay on the ground, laughing to himself about how he forgot the door was there. He clearly had drank too much, but wasn't bothered by this fact. This was the man who saved Vault 101. Jericho exited the bar shortly afterward, carrying Butch over his shoulder and swearing under his breath.

"Hey Nova." Jericho said, nodding towards the woman next to Susie.

"Hey Jericho." Nova smiled, as she waved at the old Raider gaining an appreciative smile.

"Hello Nova" James greeted in an almost musical way, raising his arm to wave at her.

"I think you should go home and get some sleep." Nova advised, as James sat up facing the women, eyes glazed over.

"Sounds like a plan." James agreed, staggering to his feet.

"Is he going to be okay?" Susie asked, the as James stood up.

"He'll be fine. He's been worse." Nova smiled, nodding to Susie.

"You's gonna help me carry this pansy? Or Wat?" Jericho snapped at James, reminding him that Butch was still out cold.

"….."

"Kid!" Jericho shouted, responding to the silent gaze James was giving him.

"I'm thinking about it!" James answered.

* * *

**A\N 2: So this wont be the last we hear about the Pitt in this Story. Why is the Pitt so important? Well, let me share something with you. I am playing fallout 3 for the first time and start hearing all about this place called the Pitt. Suppose to be horrifying, made a brotherhood of steel unable to return to field duty, suppose to be full of disease and just an outright monstrous place. When I hear that its in the DLC, I get excited and afraid, because this place is suppose to be so bad. I play it, and while it is fun and full of moral choices, its not what I was hoping for. **

**In this story however, my Pitt is a hell on earth. It outright destroyed James's humanity and nearly took his soul. The Pitt made the Vault Dweller a Wastelander. **

**Now about this chapter, the Month of isolation will be explained later in the tale but will be explained eventually. The next chapter will take place when they get home, and the morning after. Hope Everyones excited to meet Watsworth. **

**Again R&amp;R and I will see you all soon. **


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: I want to thank everyone for that motivated me to get off my ass and get back to writing. This may seem like something that I didnt need to say, but I felt obligated so I said it. As for this chapter, originally it was meant to be two stories in one, but I found that Wadsworth's story felt good enough to be standalone. Anyways, Enjoy and remember to R&amp;R._**

* * *

James drunkenly leaned against the door to his home, as the others stood behind him. James seemed to be struggling to find the right key to the door, in the collection of three keys that he kept on his person at all times. Finally the door clicked, having found the right key at last.

"Got it!" James said in victory, before for the second time falling through a door and onto the ground behind it.

"Way ta make an entrance, kid." Jericho chuckled, mocking James on his landing and obvious lack of equilibrium.

"Thank you, and Fuck you." James said, raising a middle finger to Jericho before both men laughed drunkenly.

Just then, Dogmeat dashed over to his master on the ground, and began licking him joyfully.

"Hey boy!" James greeted joyfully, as he sat up to greet his affectionate dog.

James patted, and hugged the dog as if they had not seen each other in weeks rather than hours. However, this was their relationship. No matter how many people labelled him a monster or a hero, James would always be loved by Dogmeat. James rubbed Dogmeat's fur, as the dog panted and licked his master's face lovingly.

"Okay boy…" James said, as Dogmeat got off him and turned towards the intruders.

He began to growl angrily at the people who had the nerve to step into his master's house. What right did they have to enter his master's domain, especially when his master was in this state? Dogmeat would protect his master, even if it meant putting his own life at risk. Peeling his teeth and barking viciously at the people, he lowered his head and raised his backside ready to pounce and tear someone's throat out.

"Fuck off Mutt!" Jericho shouted, raising his foot in an attempt to kick the dog.

"Jericho!" James shouted, grabbing Dogmeat and pulling him away from Jericho's swinging foot.

"What? The little fuzzball's growling at me!" Jericho growled, as Susie tried and failed to hold back a chuckle.

"It's okay boy…did the big old man upset you?" James said, as he patted the dog's fur.

"Why do you keep that mutt around anyways?" Jericho asked, knowing James was mocking him.

"Because training Nova to bite your balls off would be inhumane, and too time consuming." James grinned, his fuck you smile becoming more and more recognisable to Susie now.

"Ha-Ha very funny." Jericho grunted sarcastically, unamused by the kids joke.

At that moment, Susie saw a Mister Handy float down the stairs. However, despite his identical model to Andy from the vault, this Mister Handy was not the same as the awkward utility bot she was used to. It had a bow tie crudely painted on its torso, as well as having two extra mechanical tendrils than the average utility bot. These tendrils were spray painted to match the Mister Handy's body colour, but they still were out of place. Why else would a Mister Handy need a plasma gun and a second flamer? James would often answer this question with, "For a Barbecue, of course." But would never specify the need for a plasma gun at a barbecue.

"Good evening sir." The utility robot greeted, as James staggered to his feet.

"Hello Wads!" James saluted awkwardly.

"Should I assume that you have had another night drinking sir?" Wadsworth asked, as he floated before his master.

"Noooooo…..maybe? Yes!" James confessed with pride, rubbing his eyes and yawning before smiling at the utility bot.

"I see you have some friends over." Wadsworth pointed out.

"Yes. Can I keep them?" James asked, wrapping his arm around Wadsworth like he would another person.

"Sir, you should go to bed." Wadsworth stated, his big yellow eye looking at James.

"Hey! Who owns this house?!" James asked, pointing his own finger to himself.

"Why you do sir." Wadsworth answered, as Susie rolled her eyes to this question.

This reminded her of the times her father would get drunk and parade around the house, declaring he should be overseer and he should be running the place.

"Exactly…and that means the only one who tells me what to do is me!" James explained, slurring some of the words as his head dropped to his chest.

"I apologise sir, and what do you think you should do?" Wadsworth asked.

"I am going to bed." James said, realising he needed to sleep but not wanting to be ordered into doing so.

"Well sir that is an incredible idea. I wish I had thought of it." Wadsworth applauded, as James removed his arm from behind the robot butler.

"It is pretty great huh? Night Wadsworth…come on boy." James said, as he and Dogmeat began climbing the stairs.

"Ey! What do I do with the kid?" Jericho asked, but was completely ignored by James.

"Ah Mister Jericho, so pleasant to see you." Wadsworth greeted.

"Yeah yeah, get your nose out my ass, and tell me what to do with this vaultie!" Jericho crudely asked, still holding the unconscious Butch.

"Oh leave him anywhere really." Wadsworth said, as he floated towards the visitors.

Jericho then decided to do just that, and dropped Butch on the ground before him. Stretching his arms and back, Jericho gave a hearty yawn.

"Well, when I meant anywhere, I meant on the couch…but the floor is fine I am sure." Wadsworth commented, as his eye looked downward towards Butch.

"Whatever…see ya later vaulties." Jericho announced as he left the house to go home.

"He is quite the charming man!" Wadsworth said, as he closed the door behind Jericho, gaining a chuckle from Susie.

"So, can I ask you a question?" Susie asked, hoping that she would get a positive answer.

"My lady, it is very late and I do need to recharge some of my power supply." Wadsworth explained.

"Is that a no?" Susie asked, weary of the robot butler.

"Perish the thought. Of course you can ask me a question, but please make it a quick one." Wadsworth corrected, as Susie began to think.

Susie thought for a minute, and decided to ask a question about James another time. Instead, she decided to ask about his additional arms. Upon closer inspection, she also noted that his flame thrower was not a Mister Handy's model.

"You're not like the other Mister Handy robots, why do you have two extra arms?" She asked, as he floated there speechless for a moment.

"Well, that does not require a long answer, but it's not exactly a short story. It all started when Master James bought a Mister Gutsy by the name of Sergeant RL-3." Wadsworth started.

* * *

_James had found this Mister Gutsy extremely useful and loyal, since he had bought it a month ago. Unlike Jericho, the RL-3 didn't talk back and always followed orders. Sure his personality was a bit off, and a bit too militaristic for James's tastes, but overall he was more useful than that of Wadsworth. _

"_Wadsworth! I am home!" James had announced, as he entered the house after another great adventure no doubt. _

"_Excellent sir. Welcome back." Wadsworth announced, as he came to greet his master and the insufferable Sergeant RL-3. _

"_You call that a greeting maggot?! I call that a shit on this fine young man's face." RL-3 barked, as he floated over to Wadsworth. Were they human, he would be directly in Wadsworth's face. _

"_Charming as ever Sergeant." Wadsworth responded as mannerly as he was programmed to. _

_The Mister Gutsy only allowed James to call him RL-3, and also harboured some form of aggression towards that of Wadsworth. Perhaps it was because Wadsworth wasn't built for combat, and was not programmed to kill or attack anyone but intruders. And even then, his body wasn't exactly equipped to take on heavily armed men. To RL-3, Wadsworth was nothing but a waste of space and power. _

"_RL-3, the greeting was fine." James responded, as he sensed some animosity between the two Robco units. _

"_No need to be kind to the inferior limp circuited Utility robot sir. The only way they will learn is if we tell them how worthless they really are!" RL-3 responded, as James shook his head at the Mister Gutsy. _

_James knew that he couldn't live in a house where one robot had nothing better to do than to verbally violate the other, who was just doing what he was programmed to do. _

"_RL-3, let me see your circuitry." James asked, as he turned to face the military robot. _

"_Sir, I do not require maintenance, that last bullet only grazed my hard shell. If I were a Mister Handy unit, THEN I would require maintenance. But of course, there would be no point as I would be junk by then." RL-3 objected, turning from Wadsworth to face James. _

"_Are you rejecting a direct order from your superior?" James asked, glaring at the military robot._

"_Of course not commander!" RL-3 stated, as his back hatch opened revealing his wiring and circuitry. _

"_What are you doing master?" Wadsworth asked, curious as to the mess he would have to clean up. _

"_I am going to see if I can make him a little nicer to you, I don't want you two bickering like children just because you can't kill people." James explained, as he picked up his tool box and sat it down next to the Mister Gutsy unit. _

"_Hah! No offense sir, but I don't believe the most skilled of medics could make me accept this cowering weakling as an equal." RL-3 stated, mocking that of Wadsworth. _

"_RL-3 go into sleep mode." James ordered, as he began growing tired of the two's argument. _

"_Right away sir." RL-3 had announced._

"_Sir, are you sure it's wise to tinker with things you have little understanding of." Wadsworth advised. _

"_What's the worst that can happen? Let's just wait to see how things play out, before we start worrying." James explained, as he pulled out some of his tools. _

"_I think that would be a poor decision" Wadsworth stated in vain, as James began tinkering with the Mister Gutsy._

_Over the next few hours, James worked on the Mister Gutsy model tirelessly. Refusing to eat, or rest, or even look away from the circuitry he was clumsily fixing. It wasn't until much later that he had called Wadsworth down the stairs, to announce he had fixed RL-3._

"_See, told you I could fix him." James smugly said, a big grin crossing his face. _

"_I never doubted you for a second sir." Wadsworth said, pondering the distinct probability that if he had eyes, now would be the time to roll them. _

"_Thanks. Let's boot him up. RL-3 report for duty!" James ordered, as the military unit began powering up._

_The Mister Gutsy's eye lit up and it began to float above ground, as it had just hours prior. James smiled as it proved he had it working. _

"_RL-3 reporting for Duty sir!" RL-3 stated, as all power came back to him. _

"_See, what I tell ya-aah!"_

_James was quickly cut off by the burning sensation that had occurred from the plasma blast that had just come in contact with his back. This blast had come from RL-3. _

"_Enemy at the gates!" RL-3 announced, as he blasted at James again, this time missing his target. _

"_WHAT THE FUCK, RL-3?!" James shouted in pain to the malfunctioning Mister Gutsy. _

"_Don't talk to me you un-patriotic scum. Just die!" RL-3 stated, as James crawled away from him. _

_"There's nothing I like better than making some other poor bastard die for his country." He stated, as he approached James. _

_Before he could fire the finishing blow, Wadsworth charged into him. Sending him spiralling across the room, and away from James. _

"_Come now, surely you didn't forget about me." Wadsworth said, as he floated in front of James. _

"_Wadsworth…What the hell took you so long!?" James shouted, feeling too stupid to thank Wadsworth for saving his life. _

"_I was waiting to see how, as you put it, "things played out sir." Wadsworth said, as James frowned and raised an eyebrow to the utility robot. _

"_Was…Was that sarcasm?" James asked, as he lay on the ground his back feeling like it was melting. _

"_I dont believe I was programmed for sarcasm" Wadsworth stated, his tone as mechanical as ever._

"_Now if you will excuse me, I shall do as the butler does. And tidy up." Wadsworth said, activating his cooking flame and cutting saw. _

"_I thought you weren't programmed to kill things." James asked, now curious as to what Wadsworth meant. _

"_This is not killing sir, however, RL-3 is malfunctioning and therefore broken. Therefore, as your butler, I am obligated to take out the trash." Wadsworth stated, as he floated towards RL-3._

"_Stand down limp circuits. I don't want to have to fry your motherboard." RL-3 threatened, somewhat infuriating Wadsworth. _

"_Now Sergeant, I am afraid the only one of use that will be suffering shut down, is you." Wadsworth calmly said, keeping his composure. _

"_Oh, so you finally got some nuts and bolts, huh? Fine, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to this from the moment we met. Weakling." RL-3 barked as he took aim on Wadsworth. _

_Thankfully, James had done a worse job than he thought on RL-3. He not only damaged his combat inhibitor, but also his accuracy corrector. This caused RL-3's shots to be off by just the right amount that allowed Wadsworth o slice off his flamer arm. After all, it was one thing to have a bunch of scrap metal to clean up, but there was no chance Wadsworth would clean up after a burning house. _

"_You dirty son of a bitch!" RL-3 shouted, as its shot connected with Wadsworth and sent the Mister handy unit reversing back. _

"_Can't have you burning down the house, can we? Imagine the mess?!" Wadsworth joked, using his humour emitter to mock RL-3._

"_Die you commi scum!" RL-3 roared, as he charged towards Wadsworth. _

"_I think you will find, that I am not easy to kill sir!" Wadsworth mocked, as he spun away, dodging RL-3's assault and causing the Mister Gutsy unit to charge into the shelf. _

"_DIE!" He roared as he charged once more towards Wadsworth. _

"_After you!" Wadsworth shouted, as he swung his buzz saw after dodging RL-3's second assault. _

_Just then, Wadsworth's saw connected with the Sergeant's Power supply, and RL-3 hit the ground fast. He was running out of power fast, an act that was often compared to dying by humans. _

"_Old war-bots never die; we just rust away." He said, as his eye drooped and all power drained from his body. _

"_He's dead sir." Wadsworth stated, as he moved over to James. _

"_I can see that…" James stated, as he rose to his feet. _

"_Were it not for your masterful mechanical expertise, it would be me lying on the ground dead." Wadsworth pointed out, causing James to raise an eyebrow to him once more. _

"_Are you sure you weren't programmed for sarcasm?" James asked, as he limped over to the med-kit. _

"_99.99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% sure sir, I was not programmed for sarcasm." Wadsworth responded, leaving James unsure whether he was being serious or sarcastic with this answer. _

"_Hold on, I got an idea." James stated, as he ran over to RL-3's body._

* * *

"So Master James decided, in all his infinite wisdom, that RL-3's parts shouldn't go to waste, and attached his weaponry to me. Have myself better equipped, should one of his enemies show up here." Wadsworth explained.

"I see." Susie stated, as she smiled at the robot butler.

"And then he did the wonderfully horrible job of painting them so they look more natural. I mean really, my colour is Blue steel, not industrial steel. And don't get me started on how ridiculous it is to figure out which is my torch and which is my military flamer. But I digress." Wadsworth ranted, before he seemed to relax.

"Well, I think it looks cute on you." Susie said, planting a soft kiss on Wadsworth's shell.

"My lady, I assure you had I cheeks they would be blushing. Now get some rest. Please." Wadsworth stated, as he led her to her room.

* * *

Susie had slept like a baby, and upon waking she stretched out her arms and rubbed her eyes. But found herself rubbing her eyes once more, when she saw the half-naked man in her open doorway.

"James!" Susie shouted, as if she were disgusted by it.

"What?" James yawned, as he looked into the room.

"Why are you naked!?" Susie asked, as James's hands rubbed along his face.

"I am wearing underwear…" James argued, as his tone started getting more pained.

"It doesn't matter!" Susie shouted, as she pulled the covers over her own body.

" Please...stop...shouting." James said slowly, as he rubbed his temple.

"Put some clothes on!" Susie shouted, feeling embarrassed for the both of them.

"It's not like you haven't seen me naked before." James said, reminding Susie of what happened in the Vault.

"That was different!" Susie argued, trying not to stare at him while he stood there.

"God. I got a splitting headache here." James shouted as he walked away and down the stairs.

Susie sat on the bed, wrapped in the covers, contemplating what she would do next. She had just had the best night's rest she had had in years, but then was greeted with a half-naked James. Something Susie found herself torn between, it being a good or bad surprise. Wadsworth then came into the bedroom, with the intention of greeting his master's guest.

"Good morning Miss Susie." Wadsworth greeted, bringing a smile to her face.

"Good morning Wadsworth." Susie smiled, as she felt more relaxed now.

"How are you this fine morning?" He asked, hoping she was in better form.

"Better thanks." Susie stated, smiling to the robot butler.

"I am pleased to hear that. Would you like me to wash those clothes of yours?" Wadsworth asked, hoping to do the charming woman a service.

"Um…Okay, but I don't have anything else to wear." Susie said, knowing she couldn't walk around the house naked.

"Oh well, I would recommend doing some shopping today for new clothes, as it does not bode well for a woman of such refinement to walk around in dirty clothes. Or naked." Wadsworth stated, charming Susie a little.

"Thanks Wadsworth." Susie thanked, smiling cutely at Wadsworth.

"Now, please come downstairs. Master James is cooking breakfast." Wadsworth stated, astonishing Susie with the information that James could cook.

* * *

_**A\N: So let me explain myself here. RL-3 is one of my favoured companions, but always felt like him and Wadsworth would never get along. Anyone who has read my courier story, "An Old Mans Game" would assume I have a certain affection for the robots in these games. That is only slightly true. However, my decision to make RL-3 malfunction and try to kill James was the result of James knowing little about robotics at that stage in his journey. Plus I always liked the idea of Two Mister units fighting. **_

_**Wadsworth to me, has always been like an Alfred Pennyworth like butler. He is sarcastic, witty, and overall a badass. Wadsworth keeps everyone satisfied in the Lone Wanderers house, keeps the fridge full, and cleans up the place when James is gone. Think of all the blood he has to wash out?**_

_**Next chapter, Butch wakes up and Susie goes clothes shopping. But where in Megaton can a girl find supplies? For those who dont get my subtle reference, Susie Meets Moira Brown. Fun fun fun. Once again, remember to R&amp;R and I will see you later. **_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Who ordered a New chapter? Thats right, and this one is a little longer than the last few. A lot happens in this chapter, or at least a lot is referenced. A bigger note is at the end, but remember to R&amp;R.**_

* * *

James was indeed at the stove cooking something, much to Susie's surprise. James was standing in his underwear stirring something in a pan, that Susie couldn't help but question whether it was sanitary or not. Butch was sitting at the table, holding a bag of ice on his head and grunting something to himself, while Dogmeat was gnawing at a rather large piece of meat in his bowl. Susie timidly stepped closer to James to see what he was cooking, and to see if she would take any, if offered. It was some kind of meat and bean concoction, that didn't look at all appetizing or healthy.

"What is that?" Susie asked, disgust in her tone.

"Breakfast…pork and beans to be exact. A great cure for a hangover." James explained, as Susie looked back towards Butch.

"So…I was talking to Wadsworth." Susie started, as James turned his face to show he was listening to her.

"Always a good sign." James said, before returning to his frying pan.

"Well, he thinks that I should go out and buy some new clothes." Susie stated, merely repeating what had been said to her.

"Okay…go to craterside supply, and take some caps with you. Wadsworth will show you where to find some." James explained, as he turned off the stove.

"Aren't you coming?" Susie asked, as a sound caught both their attention coming from James's pip-boy. He got some kind of message apparently, that he read in silence before raising his head once again.

"Not now, I got work to take care of." James explained, as he took two plates from the cabinet and placed them on the counter.

"What kind of work?" Butch asked, finally breaking his constant groans to say something.

"The kind of work you don't ask questions about." James answered, pouring some of the pans contents out into one plate.

"Do you want some of this?" James asked Susie, as he looked at what remained in the pan.

"Um…do you have something else? Maybe a little less…heart attack inducing?" Susie asked, as James turned to face her.

"Sugar Bombs are on the shelf, and milks in the fridge. It's not like the powdered stuff we had in the vault though." James explained, as he pointed out the cereal on the shelf and the fridge behind him.

Placing a plate in front of Butch, James sat down at the table as Susie poured herself a bowl of sugar bombs. Weary of the pre-war breakfast cereal, but not wanting to seem too fussy after already denying James's offer of food. Bringing the bowl of cereal over to the table where the men were eating, she looked at the bowl of cereal and the yellow milk she had poured around it. This reminded her of home. While she ate breakfast, all her brothers and father could do was shovel their food into their mouths. She would say nothing, as her brothers would talk about how they deserved more in the vault, or which girls they wanted to have sex with. However, unlike her breakfast time with her family, the guys were silent. Or at least, James was. Butch was poking and prodding the food with his fork, with an almost disgusted look on his face.

"What is this?" Butch asked, disgust in his tone.

"Breakfast…eat it, or go hungry. Your choice." James said coldly, clearly still hungover from the night before.

"How come she's not eating it?" Butch asked, as he looked at Susie's breakfast.

"Because she didn't have to be carried back here last night?" James responded, as he looked towards Susie.

Feeling nervous, Susie took a spoon full of the cereal and pushed it into her mouth. The taste was so different to the powdered milk of Vault 101, it was smooth and tasted a little sweet. Or maybe that was just the cereal. Whatever it was, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Still the cereal itself was delicious, and made the milk somewhat bearable. At least to her, James probably thought it was the best thing ever.

"So this job..." Susie started, catching the attention of the men.

"What about it?" James asked, taking a forkful of food into his mouth.

"Is it dangerous?" Susie asked, worried about his wellbeing.

"Yes, but I got a friend coming along." James explained, food still in his mouth.

"What?" Susie questioned, unable to understand what the hell James was saying.

"Sorry. It's gonna be dangerous and I got a friend of mine coming along, so you don't need to worry." James stated, explaining himself once again to Susie. This time with his mouth empty.

"Jericho?" Susie asked, as James continued to eat his breakfast.

"Nah, Jericho has guard duty. It's another friend." James explained, causing Butch to raise an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Who?" Butch asked, as James dropped his fork on his now empty plate.

"You don't know him." James said, swallowing his food before even opening his mouth this time.

At this moment, Wadsworth made his appearance known as he came down the stairs with a basket of laundry. As with any Mister Handy unit, Wadsworth had two retractable hands that allowed him to carry out certain chores his master would order. Of course these arms didn't have the reach that his other arms did. However, despite the fact they did prove more useful in doing certain chores around the house, they did require him to rotate his longer arms to his rear. This covered his power supply, but also left him defenceless.

"Wadsworth, please take care of the dishes. I'm gonna grab my gear." James ordered, as Wadsworth set the basket down on the counter.

"Oh Giddy, sir. I look forward to you tracking blood all over my lovely clean floor." Wadsworth stated, as he began folding recently washed clothing.

Coming down ten minutes later, James was wearing standard combat armour and had an assault rifle holstered behind his back. Sticking his hand into a small box, James pulled out a few clips for the rifle. Susie and Butch were miles away from him now, or at least it felt that way. Finally grabbing a knife, James turned to face the two former vault dwellers and his dog.

"Come on Boy." James ordered the eager mutt, much to the dogs delight.

"Susie, you and Butch stay out of trouble." James stated, as he dashed out the door.

* * *

An hour later, Susie and Butch left the house with Wadsworth with the intention of buying some new clothes and supplies. The warm sun beamed down on them, causing Susie to add sunglasses to the list of things to buy. Following the Mister Handy Unit down the walkway toward the undetonated bomb, Susie saw another group of people listening to the same man ramble on about some guy named Adam.

"Come forth and drink the waters of the Glow, for this ancient weapon of war is our salvation, it is the very symbol of Atom's glory!" The old man yelled, catching Susie's attention.

"Um…Wadsworth…" Susie started, before she was cut off by Wadsworth.

"Don't worry Miss Susie, they are no threat to you." Wadsworth stated, as he clearly tried to avoid the group.

"Who are they?" Susie asked, as she found the group a curiosity inspiring oddity.

"Hell, let's just ask!" Butch said, as he approached the group.

"That is a foolish…he appears to be ignoring me." Wadsworth examined, as Butch ran into the crowd.

"He does that…a lot." Susie stated, as a smirk crossed her face and she followed him into the crowd.

There were a lot of people surrounding the bomb, making it difficult for Susie to get through the crowd, yet alone Wadsworth. Butch however, being his charming and considerate self, found it easier to push his way through the crowd.

"Oh it appears that we have some eager new members." The old man stated, as he welcomed them.

"No…we're just spectators." Susie explained, as the old man and an old woman walked toward them.

"I am Father Cromwell, and this is my wife Mother Maya." Cromwell explained, as he introduced himself and his wife.

"The heck you guys doing?" Butch asked, eyes locked on the bomb.

"Praying to Atom, my child. Come forth and drink the waters of the Glow, for this ancient weapon of war is our salvation, it is the very symbol of Atom's glory." Cromwell offered, stepping out of the water towards the two.

"Um...no thanks." Susie declined, as Wadsworth burst from the crowd.

"Really Miss Susie, and Mister Butch, we should get going." Wadsworth stated, having finally caught up with the two.

"He's right. It was nice talking to you." Susie said, as she back away from the man.

"Go with Atom my child." Maya bid farewell, as Butch and Susie walked away from the group.

"So those people worship the bomb that James deactivated?" Susie asked Wadsworth, quietly in case someone was listening.

"Indeed, silly thing really. Worshiping a bomb? It could blow up in their faces. Actually almost did." Wadsworth joked.

"Why did James defuse the bomb?" Susie asked, wanting to know why James would deactivate something that dangerous.

"I honestly don't know Miss Susie. I wasn't his butler at the time." Wadsworth explained, much to Susie's disappointment.

"But I am sure Sheriff Simms will tell you. I believe he asked the master to do it in the first place." Wadsworth stated, cheering the girl up a bit.

While walking away from the group, Susie was shocked to see a disgusting bovine like creature tied to a railing. Walking over to it, Susie came to a realisation. Something that made her want to throw up. Which she did.

"Susie, you okay?" Butch asked, as Susie got sick once again.

"Wadsworth…is that where James got the milk?" Susie asked, breathing heavily and pointing towards the Brahmin.

"Why of course! Where else would one get milk?" Wadsworth responded, causing Susie to throw up a third time. Now she really needed to buy new clothes.

"That's disgusting!" Susie shouted, as she felt betrayed by James for making her eat that.

"Oh man that's so gross!" Butch stated, before laughing at the fact Susie drank some.

"So that's why Master James informed me not to educate you two of this fact…" Wadsworth said calmly.

"How can you drink that?!" Butch asked, still laughing as Susie threw up the last of her breakfast.

"I don't, but Master James drinks it frequently…" Wadsworth wished he had turned off his voice matrix. At this rate, Master James would be back from his little rendezvous before they even got to the front door of Craterside.

"Now, May we continue to craterside?" Wadsworth asked.

"Yeah, let's get moving!" Butch ordered, as if he was in charge.

"Susie, ya coming?" Butch asked, smiling at Susie who had stopped getting sick.

"Screw you!" Susie shouted, as she walked ahead of them.

* * *

Entering the store entitled Craterside Supply, the three were greeted by the sound of rummaging, as well as an angry looking mercenary. Butch felt he could take the merc mono-a-mono, if it weren't for the fact that he was afraid Susie might get hurt.

"I shall retrieve the supplies I have come here for, as well as some clothing for the two of you as well." Wadsworth explained, as he floated towards the Shelves.

"What are we suppose ta do? Stand around like a bunch of wimps?" Butch asked, wondering who the hell ran this place.

Wadsworth began pulling things from the shelves, and adding them to the basket he had picked up on entering the establishment. Butch followed Wadsworth, while Susie browsed the shelves for clothing.

"This all you do all day? Be James's butler. Ya wipe his ass too?" Butch asked, still a little hungover from the night before.

"You don't have to be so mean, ya know?" a cheery voice came from the counter, as a figure in a blue jumpsuit elevated from behind it.

"He's just doing what he's programmed to, ya know?" The person wearing a welding mask said, as she looked towards Wadsworth.

"Oh Wadsy!" She gleefully shouted, lifting the mask up and revealing her pretty, dirty, face.

"Good afternoon Lady Moira. How are you today?" Wadsworth announced, greeting Moira politely.

"Peachy! So good to see you." Moira stated, smiling warmly towards the machine.

"The feeling is mutual, my lady." Wadsworth responded, assuring Moira he was happy to see her too.

"Who are these new faces?" Moira asked, only noticing Butch and Susie now.

"This is Miss Susie, and Mister Butch. They are friends of Master James." Wadsworth explained.

"Oh ya know what they say, a friend of a friend, is a friend of a friend alright." Moira stated, confusing everyone else in the room, but Wadsworth.

"Well said Lady Moira." Wadsworth agreed.

"Wait, are you two from the Vault?" Moira asked, curiosity and enthusiasm in her tone.

"Why, yes they are!" Wadsworth answered for them, handing Susie some clothes he had picked up.

"Where can I try them on?" Susie asked, as she analysed some of the clothing she was given.

"Behind the curtain over there." Moira pointed out, a smile passing her face.

Quickly, Susie dashed over to the curtain to begin getting changed. She didn't want to be wearing a vomit stained, sweat smelling vault suit any longer than she had to. God, what she wouldn't give for a quick shower.

"You know I remember the first day he came through that door." Moira said, as she recalled the day they met.

* * *

_James wandered into the shop aimlessly, as if he was looking for something he could not identify by name or appearance. This both made Moira curious and excited. In fact he was looking for information about his father, and the sound of a clanging made him curious as to what was inside the building. She felt so lucky, two new faces in the span of two days, that she didn't even put her jumpsuit back on to greet him. She motioned her hand towards him to come over to her, while she stood there in her underwear and vest. Moira was forgetful at times, and this included common social norms. Greeting a nervous stranger half naked, would be a good example of this fact. _

"_Hello there!" Moira greeted, shocking the nervous stranger with her half naked body. _

"_Um...hi..." James greeted, holding his breath from the shock he had received upon discovering she was nearly naked. _

"_Welcome to Craterside Supply, My name is Moira Brown. Owner of this fine establishment, inventor, and all around humanitarian. Welcome." Moira explained, talking very fast and enthusiastically. _

"_Oooo-kay." James answered, taking a step back away from Moira. A little uncomfortable with how friendly she was, despite her lack of clothing. _

"_My name is James." James greeted, trying not to stare at the woman before him. _

"_Great to meet you." Moira said happily, wondering where she had heard that name before. _

"_Have you seen an older gentlemen, looked a little like me? Just not as…young?" James explained, as awkwardly as possible to the woman in her vest._

"_No." Moira answered, before returning to her work, hitting something with a hammer. _

"_Um…what are you doing behind there?" James asked, having heard the clanging sound begin again. Only louder this time._

"_Hitting pulse grenades with a hammer, to see if the friction caused by the hammer ignites the grenade." Moira said, as she raised her hammer again. This time to give it a much harder smash._

"_STOP!" James shouted, grabbing the hammer in her hand and pulling it from her. _

"_Hey!" She shouted, as she frowned towards him._

"_Why?" She asked, wanting her hammer back now, more so than an answer to her question. _

"_Why am I stopping you?! Why are YOU doing this?!" James asked, shocked at how close she must have been to blowing the thing up. _

"_For scientific advancement?" Moira answered, believing this was enough to get her hammer back. _

"_BUT YOU COULD BLOW US ALL UP!" James shouted, still holding the hammer as far from her as he could. _

"_Nooo silly. Their pulse grenades. They only kill robots. At most, they'd fry my computer over there and the only thing on that is my ….research." Moira stated, realising she almost destroyed her work._

"_Wow that was a close one. I almost destroyed months of research. Can I have my hammer back?" Moira asked, stretching out her hand in desire for her hammer's return. _

_James handed her back her hammer, in the hopes she wouldn't start hammering the grenade again. Upon closer inspection, Moira was stunned at how clean his face was, and the innocence in his eyes. He clearly wasn't from around here. In fact it was only now that she noticed he was wearing a vault jumpsuit. _

"_Say, you're from that Vault aren't you?" Moira asked, leaning across the counter in enthusiasm. _

"_Um…Yeah?" James responded, feeling unsettled around this woman. _

"_GREAT! Mind if I interview you?" She asked, almost jumping across the counter at him. _

"_Why?" James asked, feeling like he should have run away when she made her presence clear. _

"_Because I'm actually writing a book to help improve the wasteland…and knowing what life in a vault was like would be very interesting and helpful to readers." Moira explained, as she grabbed a pencil and a clipboard. _

"_Um…okay." James responded, feeling like he should just answer her questions and get it over with. _

"_Oh thank you, you're such a peach! So what was it like living down there?" She asked, smiling as she readied herself to write the answer. _

"_It was paradise down there. No fear, no worries, no fighting... Until Dad left." James explained, as he felt a sadness creep over him. _

"_A runaway dad, huh? I've seen plenty of them before. But none with a big "101" on their back." Moira said, chuckling to herself as she said it. _

"_Um…thanks." James responded, feeling a little embarrassed at the fact even his clothes showed he was a vault dweller. First that old guy laughed in his face and pushed him to the ground, now this lady was pointing out his homes number. _

"_Say…care to help me write this book? I mean, I could use a field research partner, and this book could help a lot of people." Moira asked, putting a little pressure on James. _

"_Um I don't know…" James responded, unsure if helping with such a task would help or hinder his search for his father. On the one hand, it would allow him to explore the wasteland while helping people understand it better. Plus it would probably super impress Amata when he went back to the Vault. On the other hand, he was looking for his dad, and didn't plan on staying out here that long. _

"_Take this armoured vault suit, as thanks for the interview and think about it." Moira smiled, as she handed the vault suit over to James. _

_Taking the suit, James quickly left the store and didn't look back. He would ask for information somewhere else. This lady was clearly out of her mind._

* * *

"So, you know James because you tried to write a book with him?" Butch asked, confused at what exactly was the point of that story.

"Oh we have done a lot! Like, finished the book, slept together, and even compare field notes now and again." Moira explained, speaking as if she was talking about the weather.

"What was that last part?" Susie called from the changing room, wondering if she heard Moira right.

"She stated that she and Master James slept together. This wasn't the last thing she said, but I assumed it is the part you wanted verified. Although I believe she meant they had coitus at some stage." Wadsworth analysed, informing Susie of what had just been said.

"Oh it was drunk and messy, and we were celebrating. I'd hardly give it another thought." Moira chuckled, explaining that there was nothing to worry about, but implying something Susie didn't pick up on.

"Very well, erasing this data from my memory banks." Wadsworth stated, as he erased this information from his memory banks.

"So, how did you end up convincing him to help you finish the book?" Susie asked, wanting to change the subject quickly.

"Oh that wasn't very difficult. He seemed kind of down though. Then again, I would be sad too if I just broke my pip-boy." Moira admitted, beginning to tell another tale.

* * *

_Limping into Craterside, James grunted as he moved towards the counter. The guard had his eyes on James's every move, ready to get violent if it was required. Despite the fact he was injured, and seemed too tired to be a threat. However, that didn't mean he wasn't a threat. _

"_Welcome to Craterside Supply, How can I…Oh, it's you! Hello again." Moira greeted, only recognising the man by the pip-boy hanging from his arm. _

_Staring at her with cold dead eyes, James detached his broken pip-boy and threw it on the counter. Lifting it up, Moira analysed the pip-boy and the damage done to it. It was in some pretty horrible shape if she told the truth, which she did. _

"_This is in some pretty bad shape." She said as she continued analysing it. _

_There was water damage, heat damage, the screen was cracked, the radio was busted, the Geiger counter was just in awful shape, and there was more wires hanging out of it than she believed was healthy for a working pip-boy. _

"_Can you fix it?" James asked, as he looked down at it._

"_Well like I said, it's in pretty bad shape…But I think I can fix it." Moira answered, as she assessed the damage done to the device. _

"_How much will it cost?" He asked, a dark tone in his voice as he looked at her. _

"_I don't know… I mean I don't even know if I can really fix it a hundred percent." Moira honestly answered, as James rubbed his eyes and glared at her again. _

"_How…Much…will…it…cost?" He said slowly, snatching the pip-boy from her hands and reattaching it to his wrist. _

_Grabbing a pencil and a small piece of paper, Moira began writing down the number of caps it would take to get his pip-boy back to full working condition. Even with the discount she was willing to give him, she couldn't go under the price she was writing down. A price, he wasn't going to like. As she finished writing down the number, she slid the paper across the counter to him. Lifting up the piece of paper, James's eyes glared at the number, but with the exception of his eyebrows, his face didn't change expression. _

"_Fuck…" He grumbled, gripping the piece of paper in his hand in anger. _

"_How's about we make a trade?" Moira offered, as she began to worry about what trouble unleashing his anger would cause. _

"_What kind of trade?" James asked, as he looked towards Moira. _

"_You help me with my book, and I will fix your pip-boy." Moira explained, hoping this would sway his decision. _

"_Come on, it will be fun!" she cheered, as if she was trying to motivate him to score the winning goal. _

"_Deal." James agreed, before limping out the door._

* * *

"The worst part was, I could have fixed his leg if he had only asked." Moira chuckled, before the sound of the opening curtain caught everyone's attention.

Susie stepped out from the curtain wearing a new outfit, holding two others along with her stained vault suit. Her new outfit was nothing more than a t-shirt, and an old pair of jeans. The T-shirt was a plain black shirt that seemed reasonably clean to be sold in a place like this. The jeans, on the other hand, had rips and tears in them. The most noticeable being a huge hole in the kneecap. Whether it was on purpose or not was unclear.

"What do you think?" Susie asked, as she felt like all the eyes in the room were on her. Something she didn't like, at least not at this moment in time.

"I think it looks simply adorable." Moira applauded, causing Susie to blush a little.

"Excellent, put this all on Master James's bill. He will pay upon his return." Wadsworth said, as butch began trying on some new clothes.

"Sure thing." Moira stated, as Butch walked behind the curtain.

Despite losing her breakfast, this day was going pretty great. She met some new people, and got some new clothes, and knew she was going to punch James in the jaw next time she saw him for letting her drink that milk.

* * *

_**A\N: So we have met Moira. Moira is a character that is a lot of fun to write for. Mostly because she is so ditzy, yet so smart. She clearly has some form of ADHD. As for Wadsworth's lack of information about the bomb, well, he was the prize if you disarmed the bomb, so why would he know anything about the events before he was James's butler. Moira's depiction of James shows two different men. One young and naive, the other a man damaged. Also, side note, the scene where James asks about his Pip-boy takes place ten minutes before Nova's story. Once again, remember the person telling the story is as important as the story themselves. Moira's stories are short because she has so much going on in that mind of hers, she cant remember all the details.**_

_**Next, Why did James sleep with Moira? Well he will tell us when he gets back from his little mission. **_

_**Anyways, in the Next chapter we will meet some of the Local Mercs of Megaton. Including Billy Creel, Stockholm, and our favourite angry old man Jericho. **_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Well well well, what have we here? An update? A long Update? Oh my.**_

_**Yes I have been working on this chapter for a while now, and it has changed so many times. So many characters to take into consideration, and so many turns to take. But I settled on this story pathway over others. As always there will be another Authors Note at the bottom of the page explaining some of the things that occur in the chapter. Enjoy and remember to R&amp;R.**_

* * *

Susie waited in silence as Butch got changed behind the curtain. Moira and Wadsworth were exchanging small talk about various topics, none of which Susie had any interest in for the moment. The shop was dirty, but seemed to be clean in the places that counted. The shelves which held food were spotless, but everywhere else was covered in motor oil or dust. A few bottles of milk caught Susie's eye causing her to get sick in her mouth a little. There was nothing left to throw up however, as she had basically emptied her stomach the last time she had thrown up. It wasn't as much the milk itself that made her sick, but the image of where it came from that made her want to throw up. That sickly looking cow, was all she could think of at this moment and how she drank something that came from it. She was soon distracted by the fact Butch had come out in a simple shirt and jeans, looking like someone from that old holomovie, "Biker Men from Mars". Of course, he would not part ways with his Tunnel Snakes Jacket. Typical Butch, could never leave the vault without that damn jacket.

"Oh that looks nice." Moira stated, as if trying to make the sale on the clothing.

"I believe it makes him look like a roughian." Wadsworth stated, making an apt observation on Butch's clothing.

"A what?" Butch asked, throwing his leather jacket over his shoulder as if to pose for a photo.

"A Roughian!" Wadsworth repeated himself, as he turned away from Butch.

"I heard ya the first time bolt for brains. I mean, what's that mean?" Butch asked, annoyed that he was being confused by that of Wadsworth.

"I apologise. Had I known you suffered from a weak vocabulary, I would have tempered my own choice of words to match with yours." Wadsworth explained, as Butch looked like he was about to have an embolism.

"What the hell are ya saying?!" Butch barked, as Wadsworth turned around to face him.

"You look like a troublemaker." Wadsworth explained, finally putting it in a way Butch would understand.

"Oh…thanks?" Butch thanked, confused as to why the robot couldn't have just said that in the first place.

Susie burst out in laughter, as Butch thanked Wadsworth for calling him a roughian. She found it amusing that Butch couldn't get the idea that Wadsworth wasn't impressed by his choice of attire. This laughter became infectious rather quickly, and soon everyone but Wadsworth was laughing. Not because he didn't find it funny, but because he had found it funny 5.2 milliseconds before the laughter began and no longer found it amusing.

Thanking Moira, the group left the store with new clothing and supplies for the week. James would pay for the supplies, when he returned from whatever trouble he was getting into out in the wasteland. Susie smiled, but soon felt her stomach ache. Not out of sickness this time however, but out of hunger. It even emphasised this fact by letting out a grumbling sound, alerting everyone else to her hunger. Checking her pip-boy for the time, she noticed it was now 3pm in the day, and wondered where the time had went.

"Miss Susie, Are you feeling famished?" Wadsworth considerately asked.

"Um, I guess I am a little hungry." Susie stated, cautious about the food the town would have to offer. Especially after she had gotten sick as a result of her first breakfast in the wasteland.

"Excellent. Follow me, and I shall lead you to nourishment." Wadsworth explained, as he floated away from them, expecting them to follow.

* * *

The three approached a building, near to where the people who surrounded the bomb this morning were. It was a medium sized building, with strange symbols illuminated by lighting above it. Susie then saw a smaller sign below the glowing letters, which read in messy handwriting "The Brass Lantern". Susie doubted that was what the sign above meant, but she didn't doubt that the larger sign caught the eye of potential customers. Butch noticed something too. That sitting at one of the tables were three men, drinking and laughing to each other. One of the three men, the two Vault Dwellers and the Mister Handy recognised.

"Hey Jericho!" Butch shouted, greeting the old Raider who didn't look happy to see them.

"Oh hell!" Jericho groaned, as he pushed his hand to his face.

"How ya doing Jericho?" Butch asked, as if he was greeting one of his buddies.

"Fuck…off!" Jericho said slowly, glaring at Butch and Susie.

"You know these guys Jericho?" A man wearing an eyepatch asked, pulling a bottle of beer from his lips.

"The fucks it to you?" Jericho barked, as Susie and Butch stood there in silence.

"I see he's as charming as ever." Wadsworth said at a low volume, not surprised by this fact.

"He's just asking, man." A man wearing a bandana and goggles asked, trying to calm the situation.

"Their some fucken Vaulties the kid picked up, from his little ride down memory lane." Jericho explained, in his most pleasant way Susie assumed.

"So their new to the Wastes?" The cycloptic man asked, as Jericho rolled his eyes and glared now at him.

"Billy, did I say they was from the Vault, or not?" Jericho asked, clearly pissed off at the man whose name was now revealed to be Billy.

"So that's a yes?" Billy asked, smiling at how annoyed Jericho was getting.

"OF FUCKEN COURSE!" Jericho shouted, as if he had been crystal clear before.

"Um….Jericho?" Susie asked, now even more intimidated at the idea of a drunk Jericho than a sober one.

"WHAT?!" Jericho shouted, glaring at Susie with annoyance.

Susie knew this kind of look in a man who had been drinking. When she was younger, her father would get pretty drunk and take out his frustrations on whoever was stupid enough to stand up to him. It was usually her eldest brother who stood up to him, but sometimes it would be her mother. He would either scream hurtful or demoralising things at them, or on some occasions even raise a hand to the family he had sworn to protect. Jericho on the other hand, had no reason to hold back against people he clearly didn't even like. Susie, however, didn't want Jericho to think he could intimidate her that easily.

"Well… James said you had guard duty today. Why are you drinking?" She asked, not exactly as brave as she intended.

"You telling me how to do my job, bitch?" Jericho asked, peeling his teeth in anger at the young lady.

"Well no, but…" Susie started, as Jericho glared at her.

"Shut your fucken mouth then." Jericho interrupted, as he poured the remainder of his drink down his throat.

"Mr. Jericho, I warn you if you raise a hand to Miss Susie, I will be forced to take swift action." Wadsworth warned, as Jericho grinned and raised a fist to the robot.

"Bring it on, metal head!" Jericho grinned, as he readied himself for a fight.

"Jericho, calm down." The man in the goggles shouted, causing Jericho to turn towards him.

"Fuck you Cock-Home!" Jericho barked, now turning his aggression toward the man whose name Susie hoped wasn't "Cock-Home".

"Fuck you man!" He responded, rising to his feet to meet Jericho's glare.

"Jericho!" Billy shouted, catching everyone's attention.

"What Billy?!" Jericho barked, looking into the one eye of the man opposing him.

"She's right, you're on duty now!" Billy stated, somehow calming Jericho down enough that he no longer looked ready to kill anyone there.

"Fine! I'll see's you boys at Moriarty's later." Jericho grumbled, as he picked up his rifle. Stopping in front of Susie and Butch, Jericho placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Let me make one thing clear, ya little bitch. I don't like you, or your friend. Only reason, I aint killed ya yet, is because I like the Kid. And he seems to like you. No idea why? You're not exactly a fine piece of ass. But that's the only reason you're not full of bullets right now. That's it!" Jericho explained gripping her shoulder hard, before pushing Susie into Butch and walking away from them.

"See you later Jericho." Billy shouted waving at Jericho walking away.

Susie felt a horrible feeling grip her stomach, like someone was twisting her from the inside. Was that really all she was, a hanger on to James? Someone who none would respect, because she didn't want to kill anyone? Was that really how they established worth out here? By killing one another? Susie wasn't a killer, even back at the Vault, where she had a gun trained on her father. She knew she wasn't going to fire that gun. She couldn't kill her father, no matter how horrible his actions were. James on the other hand, showed he could kill anyone who stood in his way. Even going as far as to kill a guard, because he hurt his dog. Susie hoped she would never have to kill someone, if it meant becoming someone like Jericho.

"Hey!" Billy said, snapping Susie out of her daze.

"Um...yes?" Susie asked, only realising now that Butch had sat down with the two men while she was deep in thought.

"Susie, are ya gonna sit down or not?" Butch asked, as Susie blushed in embarrassment.

"Sure." Susie said, as she pulled up a chair and sat down with the strangers.

"Don't be afraid, honey. We won't hurt ya." The man in the goggles reassured.

"Thanks." Susie thanked, but was still unsure of these men.

"This here is Stockholm. He's one of the guards that works with Jericho." Billy introduced.

"Pleasure to meet you." Stockholm stated, smiling at them both.

"And my name is Billy Creel, it's nice to meet ya." Billy stated, as a smile crossed his face.

"Allow me to make introductions!" Wadsworth alerted, as he continued to float behind the Vault Dwellers.

"This is the lovely Miss Susie. She is a well-mannered, beautiful, intelligent and very considerate young lady, of whom I am honoured to introduce to you." Wadsworth introduced, causing Susie to blush.

"And her acquaintance is Mr Butch. They are friends of Master James, and as Mr Jericho put it, albeit very crudely, they are both from the Vault." Wadsworth explained, reminding everyone of the fact that these two were new to the Megaton.

"Hey, where is my big introduction." Butch asked, expecting something as grand as Susie's.

"But you see, I don't very much like you, Mr Butch." Wadsworth responded, in his deadpan voice.

"Mister Creel, if you wouldn't mind I have to get going. Can I trust you with the safety of these two?" Wadsworth asked Billy, sounding much like a protective father figure.

"You have my word." Billy stated, smiling as Wadsworth floated away.

"By the way, don't worry about Jericho. He gets nasty when he has guard duty." billy explained, as Stockholm nodded in agreement.

"You can say that again…" Stockholm said, as he took a sip of his drink.

"So how do you know James?" Susie asked, folding her arms and looking at the men.

"Not that well, other than he and Jericho are buddies." Billy admitted, giving the only answer he could give.

"He can't seem to remember my name." Stockholm stated, as if it was some kind of grave insult that James couldn't remember his name.

"Oh…okay." Susie responded, looking at Billy who was now chuckling to himself.

"He's also the fucking reason I do double the work, at half the pay." Stockholm ranted, as he looked at Billy who was still laughing.

"Why?" Butch asked, raising an eyebrow to the bandana man.

"Because every time him and Jericho go out on their little adventures, guess whose there to cover Jericho's shift?!" Stockholm shouted, looking around the table for an answer.

"Oh..." Susie answered, not giving the answer Stockholm probably hoped for.

"What about Jericho? Got any stories about him?" Susie asked, hoping to change the subject in some way.

"Well of course we do!" Billy announced in pride.

"Hey. What about that story where James knocked Jericho on his ass?" Stockholm recommended, bringing a smile to Billy's face.

"Oh that's a great one." Billy laughed, cracking his knuckles and beginning the story.

* * *

_It was a month after he had returned, none had really seen much of him in that span of time. Sure people were talking about him, but none had any real evidence to some of the rumours going around. Rumours that varied from disturbing to disgusting. Of course the majority of rumours started and stayed at Moriarty's bar. Most of them probably came from the old man himself, who was swindled out of information by the kid the day he arrived. He had won a game of chance against the old bar owner, and being a man of his word he told the kid the bare minimum. _

_Jericho was sitting in the same seat he always sat in, when the kid walked in. He was noticeably cleaner than the last time he was seen in the bar. He had shaved his beard, and let his hair grow long enough to get it neatly trimmed. Also his leg seemed to have healed, as he wasn't limping anymore and his leg no longer was fitted with a splint. Looking around the bar, he noticed Jericho and took a deep breath before walking over to him. _

"_Um…excuse me?" He asked, as he tapped the old raider on his shoulder. _

"_Go fuck ya self!" Jericho barked, as he continued drinking. _

"_I just wanted to ask if you were as tough as people around here say." James asked, gaining a snicker from everyone at the bar and not just Jericho. _

"_HAH! Tougher! That's gotta be the most retarded thing I ever –"_

_It was at that moment the bar went silent, as Jericho was thrown from his seat by the force of the young man's fist. The patrons and bar staff watched in shocked curiosity, as Jericho looked up at his attacker. James was standing over Jericho, his fists raised ready for more. It was at that moment everyone was certain, Jericho had just been knocked to the floor by the kid from the Vault. _

"_Get up then, Old man! And prove it to me!" James mocked, as he motioned for Jericho to get to his feet and fight him. _

"_You stupid fucken kid!" Jericho barked as he lunged towards James._

_Charging James against the wall, Jericho began punching James repeatedly in his stomach. James grunted, and groaned as he raised his arms into the air and drove his elbows into Jericho's back. Jericho grunted, before being kneed in the stomach and pushed back across the bar by James. James then, returning the favour, charged towards Jericho. However, thinking fast, Jericho smashed the bottle of scotch that he had been drinking across the kids face. The impact shattered the bottle into pieces, and brought James to the ground. The alcohol burned his wounds, as blood dripped from his face. Believing himself to be the victor, Jericho turned away from James. However, James was not done yet. Grabbing Jericho's foot, James pulled it out from under the old raider causing him to fall forward and smack his jaw against the bar. Grunting loudly in pain, Jericho turned around to James. _

"_You don't know when ta give up!" Jericho said, a smile crossing his face. _

_Jericho rammed his foot into the kid's face, before getting back to his feet. Placing his foot on the kids shoulder, Jericho grabbed James's arm and pulled it towards him. He pulled hard and waited to hear the bone snap. The bone breaking echoed in the bar, but the kid didn't scream. Jericho loosened his grip to see what the fuck was going on. He knew he broke the bone, so why didn't he scream. Had he killed the kid? This was his mistake as James swung his leg around, and struck the back of Jericho's legs hard enough to cause the raider to lose balance and fall back. As he lay there for a millisecond of peace, James made his move. Grabbing a piece of the broken bottle, whose shards still covered the floor and the side of James's face, James shoved the piece to Jericho's neck. Pressing the rigged glass to the raider's neck. There was something in his eyes. Something that said, I will fucking kill you right when I want to. Jericho liked that. It meant this kid had some balls on him. _

"_You win." James said through gritted teeth, his breath quickening. _

_Dropping the shard of glass, James got up from the ground and walked towards the door. Jericho was left with a look of confusion on his face._

* * *

Susie listened attentively as the two men laughed at the story of the near execution of Jericho. Was James that full of himself that he needed to beat Jericho in a fight to prove he was the strongest in the town? Or was there something else to this story?

"So why did James say that?" Susie asked, curiously leaning forward to make sure she didn't miss a word.

"Yeah, it sounds like he won that fight." Butch pointed out the obvious, a forgivable act in the present company though.

"No idea, but he and Jericho started their little friendship a week later." Billy smiled, as he answered the question.

"Can ya even really call it a friendship?" Stockholm asked billy, before taking another drink from his bottle.

"I mean the two just stop each other from getting killed all the time, drink and fight with each other." Stockholm went on, raising an eyebrow to Billy.

"I think it's the closest thing Jericho can have to a real friend. Or a wife." Billy answered with a devilish smile.

Both men laughed and bounced their bottles of liquor off one another. Billy then turned to face Susie, realising that they must be hungry if they were coming to the Brass Lantern.

"So…you kids want something to eat? On us?" Billy offered, happy to help out the new folks if they needed it.

"I aint paying my hard earned caps." Stockholm protested.

"Fine….it's on me." Billy rolled his eyes at the cheap ass he was drinking with.

"Thanks very much." Susie thanked, smiling at the one eyed man.

"Yeah thanks man." Butch said passively.

"Think nothing by it. What do ya want?" Billy asked, a friendly smile aimed at them.

"Nothing with meat please." Susie said, as she wanted to know exactly what she was eating from now on.

"Just give me a steak." Butch said, more interested in the tastes the wasteland had to offer than she was.

"Okay then." Billy responded raising his hand in the air and waving to the woman at the counter.

"Jenny can I get a bowl of Noodles, a Brahmin steak, a bottle of beer, a bottle of whiskey, and two Nuka colas?" Billy asked, as he ordered for the table.

Susie was grateful for the one eyed man, after all he didn't have to pay for their dinner. The meal was in fact the best thing she had eaten since they left the vault. Once they had finished eating, Susie returned to the topic at hand.

"So do you have any other stories?" Susie asked, smiling at the generous men before her.

"Sorry to say Susie, but I got to get home to Maggie and Stockholm has to relieve Jericho. Otherwise, he's just gonna shoot anyone who comes within 10 feet of the town." Billy explained, as the two got up from their seats to their feet.

"Okay. Thanks for the meal." Susie thanked, happy to have met such friendly people.

"Ya know, if ya want some stories about James, you should talk to his ex." Billy said, catching Butch's and Susie's attention.

"His ex? As in ex-girlfriend?" Susie asked, wishing to verify on whether or not they were talking about the same thing.

"Yeah, they spent almost as much time together as James and Jericho did before they broke up." Billy verified, as Susie was taken aback by this information.

"James and her, not James and Jericho." He corrected himself.

"What's her name?" Butch asked, having asked the question Susie wanted to ask.

"Lucy west." Stockholm answered, sounding rather impatient now.

"Anyways. See ya later guys. Have a few beers on us." Billy said, leaving a few bottle caps on the table for the two youths.

"Thanks Billy. Thanks Stockholm." Susie thanked, waving the two goodbye.

"Your welcome." Billy smiled, walking away.

"Whatever." Stockholm grunted, marching away.

* * *

Buying four beers, Susie and Butch sat on the metal runway overlooking the bomb. The sun was now setting, and the cold wasteland air started to blow. The sun setting over the large metal gates of Megaton was beautiful. She wasn't much of a beer drinker, but after the day she had, she felt maybe she should try some new things.

"Lucy West." Susie murmured, looking down at her feet dangling over the heads of so many settlers.

"Who?" Butch asked, as he threw pebbles over the railing at passers-by.

"James's ex-girlfriend." Susie answered, reminding Butch of the woman they would seek out next.

"Oh yeah." Butch responded in glee, but it became apparent that this was in response to him hitting someone on the head with a pebble.

Susie sighed and began wondering about this woman. It wasn't like she expected James to be alone all his time out here, but at the same time she would never have guessed he had gotten into a relationship. She couldn't help but wonder what this woman was like, and why she and James ended things?

"Say Butch. Can I tell you something?" Susie asked, feeling her nerves wrap together and twist in warning. Trying to tell her not to say anything. To live in blissful ignorance, over admitting it to someone.

"Sure Susie what's up?" Butch asked, looking at Susie with a smile.

"But you have to promise not to say anything!" Susie stated, trying to make sure he understood the severity of the information.

"Okay." Butch said, with a chuckle not putting Susie's worries to rest.

"I am serious." Susie warned, as she began to wonder if she should tell him.

"Fine, fine, what is it?" Butch asked, sitting down beside Susie.

"I think I have a crush on James." Susie said, pushing her hands to her mouth. Her bodies last attempt at trying to stop her from releasing such embarrassing information.

And like that, it was out there. She didn't need to hide her feelings from everyone anymore. She now had someone, someone to share her worries and feelings with. She felt liberated, like all her fears were gone now. A weight had been lifted from her shoulders, and now she could breath easily. She could take on the world, with no worries of defeat. And now she had someone she could finally talk to about it.

"And?" Butch asked, not showing any real shock at this information.

Even if that someone was as thick headed as Butch.

* * *

_**A\N: Well that was an interesting chapter wasnt it? Now its time to explain some things.**_

_**1\. Stockholm has few lines and few stories, because I didnt know he existed until two chapters ago. Seriously I must have played through the game countless times, spent hours in Megaton and never ran into Stockholm. So as an inside joke, I made James unable to remember his name. **_

_**2\. I really really enjoyed writing the fight scene. The quickness, the brawler type back and forth and the dirty tactics of Jericho. **_

_**3\. Susie's altered innocence is a mirror of kids leaving the nest. She is scared, and unsure of this new world. But is forced to accept this place and how it , her leaving the nest can result in mutilation, dehydration, starvation, and death if she doesnt watch her back. **_

_**4\. The Mercs at the table are split up in regards to their Karma (or how I interpret their Karma.). Jericho's an asshole because he's got bad Karma. Stockholm is Neutral as he is a mix of both. This is because, as I said above, I knew nothing about Stockholm before the last chapter was posted. And Billy's nice because he has good Karma. This is from a few in game pieces of evidence that indicate he's a good guy. These are, Moriarty not liking him and Saving and bringing up Maggie. **_

_**5\. Stockholm's displeasure about being left to defend the town made sense to me. I mean its Jericho's job too, but nobody is really going to argue with someone as aggressive as him. **_

_**6\. Susie's confession to Butch has been a long time coming, and it will not be said to James for a while now. I tried to describe it the best I could (you know that moment of fear of judgement, but release after you tell someone that you like somone else.), but dont know if I captured it just right. **_

_**7\. Lucy West fitted as a former lover to me. I mean, like my argument about Amata, you travel all that way to Arefu to deliver a letter. As with most works of fiction, a male protagonist will usually do something dangerous because he's stupid or for a girl he likes. Or both.**_

_**8\. If the word is misspelled when its used in a character's speech then its done on purpose to simulate their speech patterns. The amount of angry Grammar Nazi's that send me P.m's is getting silly.**_

**_9\. Biker Men from Mars is a nice nod to one of my Favourite Saturday Morning cartoons from my youth, Biker Mice from Mars. Vinnie is my hero. _**

_**The more I know you guys like these stories the more I will be motivated to get working on more and more ideas. Thanks for reading my story guys. And I will see you in the next chapter. **_

_**=Now at the moment I am on the bench whether to do a solo story about James doing Lucy's quest or not. But we will see what you guys think. Yup opening to reviewers. You want Lucy West's quest done as a solo story, either P.M me or write in the review. If I get nothing about it, I will simply accept that as a no to either ideas.=**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Authors Note**_

Random Fan 1: Your alive! Wheres my new chapter?

_**Jay08: Here...**_

Random Fan 2 Where the hell have you been?

_**Jay08: Editing...**_

Random Fan 3: Why did it take so long?

_**Jay08: Editing**_

Random Fan 4: Why would you spend so much time editing?

**_Jay08: Because it needed to be edited. _**

_**That is literally the reason this chapter took so long. It went through 5 rewrites, and a lot of research that in the end wasnt used in this chapter. But in the end, I decided to show a softer side to James. And who better to show that side, then Good old Lucy West. Now what makes her story interesting is that it will be carried on to the next chapter, and it involves a post quest Tenpenny Tower. Also, who knows if this chapter proves popular we might see more adventures with Lucy in stories set in the past. If not, well I guess I'll learn from my mistakes. More info, will be at the bottom of the Story, such as my explaining some things that occur in the story. I am sorry about the lateness of this chapter, but I hope this long chapter makes up for it. I wish you well, and hope you enjoy it. Remember to Read and Review (R&amp;R) otherwise How will I know what you think of it? **_

* * *

Waking up the next morning, Susie found that she was not as rested as she had been yesterday morning. Perhaps it was the fact she had drank alcohol last night, or perhaps it was all she had learnt yesterday that caused her a restless slumber. Another difference she noticed about this morning and yesterdays, was that there was no James in his underwear standing outside her door. Something she was grateful to have absent. At least that's what she told herself, as she raised her knees to her chin and sat on her mattress.

The truth was, she wasn't sure how ready she was to tell James how she felt. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she actually did have a crush on him or if it was just her appreciation towards the man who saved her and the vault. Being around him made her nervous, but not in a bad way. Well, not in a scary way anyways. It was hard to explain. All she did know, was that when she thought of him her mind reminded her of how cruel he could be and how damaged he was, while her stomach released a variety of large winged butterflies to flap around her stomach. Maybe she just liked bad boys?

Susie chuckled to herself at this thought. The more she thought about it, the more it made her smile. So she had a type, or maybe she was just out of her mind. After all, she did jump at the chance to follow someone she never really liked before out into certain danger.

"Wow…I must really have issues." She laughed, as she stretched her body and yawned.

She had gone to bed early last night, but felt more so because she didn't want to be up all night like Butch looking for James's 'private booze stash'. It wasn't until Wadsworth gave him a quick shock, which infuriated Butch of course. But then, Wadsworth pointed out that it was asinine to look for a secret stash of booze, as James preferred going out to drink over staying in. That being said, he still had booze in his house from time to time. Butch then stated that he would buy booze at the bar, to which Wadsworth responded by shocking him again. After that, Wadsworth explained that he was to keep Butch from acting like an idiot on the request of James. And then, like a stern father would do, ordered them to go to bed.

And that's what they did. Susie smiled, as she recounted the last couple of days. The vault rebellion, her leaving the vault, and of course that kiss. Grabbing her pillow, she groaned into it feeling like such an idiot. She just kissed him out of nowhere, and he hadn't even brought it up since it happened. Not that she expected him to say something, not after the day he had. And to cap it all off, she told Butch.

* * *

"I'm such an idiot!" She groaned into the pillow, before hearing her door open.

Wadsworth floated in her doorway, his spray painted bow tie bringing a smile to Susie's face. It was nice seeing him in the morning when she woke up, and today was no exception.

"Good morning Miss Susie. How are you feeling?" Wadsworth asked, his demeanour as cheery as ever.

"I'm fine Wadsworth. And a good Morning to you." Susie smiled, looking at the robot butler.

"Will you be taking a shower this morning?" Wadsworth asked, much to Susie's surprise.

"Wait, this place has a shower?!" Susie asked, now excited about

Susie had wanted to take a shower since she left the vault, but thought she'd have to swim in a river or something to bathe now. The knowledge that she could take a shower brought waves of happiness to her. She was so frightened that she would be left to wallow in her own filth, until the day she found a lake or something.

"Of course we have a shower." Wadsworth said, in a matter of fact like manner.

"How?" Susie asked, crawling across the bed and now focused on everything Wadsworth was saying.

"I do not understand the question." Wadsworth answered, now sounding more like a robot.

"How do you guys have a working shower?" Susie rephrased the question, hoping she was hearing exactly what she wanted to.

"The shower system was already in place when the master moved in. So when the master fixed the town's water pipeline, he had a working shower." Wadsworth explained. *

"Okay, where is it?" Susie asked, eager to get washed up.

"It's the room just across the walkway." Wadsworth explained, and with that said Susie leapt out of her bed and made a run for the bathroom.

* * *

Butch awoke to the feminine screams of his fellow vault exile.

"SUSIE!" Butch shouted, running towards the sounds origin.

He was sure that Susie was in trouble or hurt, or worse. Maybe it was that asshole robot butler hurting her, shocking her because she didn't comply with something he said. That butler could do what he wanted to Butch, but Butch was damned if he let anyone touch a hair on her head. His footsteps echoed as he pounded up the stairs quickly, catching sight of the butler. Running over to him, Butch grabbed him by his large yellow eyes.

"What have you done to her, you bastard?" Butch barked, sounding like he was some kind of hero. Quickly, Wadsworth smacked Butch's arm causing him to relinquish his grip around Wadsworth's eye. *

"Excuse me sir, but if you touch me again I will be forced to use violence to subdue you." Wadsworth warned, and though his tone didn't change the anger in his voice still carried through.

"What have you done to Susie!" Butch asked, this time rephrasing the question.

"I have not harmed a hair on that lovely young lady's head." Wadsworth explained, much to the annoyance of the maintenance bot.

"Then where is she?!" Butch asked, repeating himself a third time.

"I believe she is in the bathroom, taking a shower if my memory core serves me well." Wadsworth mentioned, causing Butch to pause with a stupid look on his face.

"Wait…we have a shower?" Butch asked, swinging his head around like a dog at the mere sniff of food.

"The master has a shower…" Wadsworth corrected Butch, making it clear that Butch was only a guest in this house and not its owner.

"Where is it?" Butch asked, now curious to the location of the shower. Whether it was for perverse reasons, or merely the need to take a shower was unclear.

"Over there." Wadsworth instructed, watching as Butch dashed over to the door.

Butch walked over to the door cautiously, and lightly knocked on the door. He could hear the running water through the door, and was sure that Susie was in there.

"Um, Susie?" Butch said, tapping on the door lightly.

"Yeah?" Susie called out, wondering what she was being asked now.

"You okay in there? I heard a scream." Butch asked, trying to sound concerned and less of a jackass.

"Yeah...the water was just really cold at first." Susie explained, making Butch feel like an idiot.

"Well…hurry up, I am in there next." Butch shouted, blushing as he walked away from the door.

* * *

The water trickled down her body, as she was splash with thin streams of water. The water had been cold at first, but it soon warmed up. The water washed over her naked body, cleansing her of the sweat and vomit that she had stank of over the last few days. However, these new emotions she was feeling, along with the new information she had on her crush, made her a little more insecure now. Her hands traced down to her birth mark, and her mind suddenly went back to the vault.

"Birthmark Butt." Were the words that echoed in her head.

She hated that nick name, but at least it made her something else than just the girl of the Mack family. Then a thought came to mind.*

How many times would James stand in this shower and think about the vault?

He had been out here for so long, and must have missed it more than she did right now. Maybe even more, since he had none to talk to about it. None who was there and knew what life in the vault was like. He was alone. Susie felt so sorry for him, and also felt a little angry at herself. She had only thought of herself and how she felt since she left the vault, and that was only two days ago.

* * *

Turning off the shower, she grabbed the towel Wadsworth had given her and began drying herself off with it. She then wrapped the towel around her body, and opened the door leading out of the shower.

After she got dressed, Susie heard something from downstairs. It was laughter, but it wasn't a familiar laugh. It wasn't Butch's obnoxious laugh, and nor was it Jericho's mocking laugh. Susie wasn't sure if it was Wadsworth or not. What made this laughter different most of all however, was that it was a woman's.

Susie carefully descended the steps of the Megaton house, and brought the woman whose laughter she must have heard into view. She was talking to Wadsworth, who seemed to enjoy the company of the young woman. Susie chuckled at the thought that the two seemed like a married couple.

"Ah Miss Susie, come and sit down with our guest." Wadsworth invited, as the sound of Butch trying to sing in the shower echoed down the stairs.

"Sure." Susie accepted, smiling and happy to see some fruit on the table for breakfast.

The woman was very pretty, but not in an intimidating way. More like a girl next door kind of way. She had blonde hair, a pretty face, and seemed to get along better with Wadsworth than some of the other residents in the town.

"Allow me to introduce Madame Lucy West, to Miss Susie Mack." Wadsworth introduced, much to Susie's shock.

And like that Susie could think of only two things. One being:

"Fuck…"

The other being:

"Did he just say Lucy West?!"

Funny how the mind works when your worst nightmare shows up out of the blue, and invites you to have breakfast with them. Susie saw this Holomovie, and she knew that it ended with her face being sliced off and worn by her in a weird attempt to win James back. Of course this thought was soon dismissed, as she realised she had probably seen one too many horror Holo vids. What could she say, she was a fan.

"It's so nice to meet you." Lucy greeted, a big smile on her face as she looked at Susie.

"You're…Lucy West?" Susie asked, but she could only think "What are you smiling at?"

"Was I not clear enough Miss Susie?" Wadsworth asked, causing Lucy to smile and direct her attention to him.

"Wadsworth, one of these days we have got to figure out whether you were programmed for sarcasm or not." Lucy chuckled, as she rubbed the robot's spherical body. *

"I believe I have stated prior to you that I am-"

"I remember your percentages Wadsworth…"Lucy interrupted, not wanting to hear that percentage of certainty.

"Excellent, I shall leave you two to enjoy your breakfast. Bon-appetite." Wadsworth courteously said, as he left them to their meals.

"So you're Lucy West?" Susie repeated, looking at the woman before her. Was this jealousy? Was Susie threatened by this woman?

"Oh…that's not a good look is it? What has he said about me?" Lucy asked, her smile still present as she sipped her water out of her glass.

"Who?" Susie asked, cautious of what the woman was asking.

"James." Lucy asked still smiling, but her tone carrying a curious pitch of insistence.

"Nothing!" Susie admitted, leaning back away from Lucy.

"Typical…" Lucy smiled, chuckling as her mind seemed to wander away from her. An uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"You two dated right?" Susie asked, breaking the silence between them with an even more awkward question.

"Now if he didn't say anything about me, how would you know we dated?" Lucy asked, surprised at being asked such a personal question by a complete stranger.

"Oh…um…Billy and Stockholm told me." Susie answered, barely remembering the names of the kind men from yesterday.

"I'm sorry, does that subject bother you?" Susie asked, willing to change the subject if it was too personal.

"Not really. Yes, we dated. It didn't work out." Lucy answered, some sadness in her tone but no hint of regret.

"So what attracted you to James?" Susie asked, not really thinking about the words coming from her mouth until they were said.

"Oh…that's it huh? You got your eye on him?" Lucy said, a wicked grin on her face as she leaned on her elbow and looked over at Susie.

"NO!" Susie lied, embarrassment now filling her body.

"It's not like that!" Susie continued to lie, as her bright red race told a different truth.

"Sure it isn't. I was attracted to James because he had that lost boy factor." Lucy explained, her disbelief picked up by everyone but the tone deaf tunnel snake upstairs in the shower. *

"What?" Susie asked, still red from embarrassment.

"The lost boy factor, you know. That guy who clearly can't take care of himself, doesn't like talking to people or strangers in general, and acts all tough on the outside when he's really scarred on the inside. Effortlessly attractive, despite how scruffy or dangerous he looks. Usually quick on his feet, or ready for a fight." Lucy explained.

"I must say Madame Lucy that is rather amusing. I must add that to my Humour library." Wadsworth scoffed.

"Oh…Kay?" Susie responded, not exactly satisfied with that answer.

The more she thought about it, the more it kind of made sense. He was reckless sometimes, and always seemed to be more concerned with everyone else's problems than his own. Plus he didn't really seem to take good care of himself based on the scars all over his body. Not to mention, from what she had learned, he had a lot of demons.

"How did you guys meet?" Susie asked, bracing herself for the most uncomfortable story her curiosity could bring on her.

"At Moriarty's. He did me a big favour, and he was sweet so I invited him to my place for dinner. Things kind of took off from there." Lucy explained, making it sound a lot more normal than Susie had expected.

"Actually I got a great story if you want to hear it." Lucy said as she took a sip from her glass.

"Sure." Susie said, rather disappointed at the mundane way the two former lovers met.

"Well james had tried to shoot me one day, because he was having a bad dream and I woke him up." Lucy begun, before being cut off by a shocked Susie.

"WAIT WHAT?!" Susie asked, shocked that James tried to shoot his at the time girlfriend.

"Oh…yeah he used to get thesecrazy nightmares. Probably about the Pitt. I never asked him." Lucy explained, a sadness in her tone. *

"And he tried to shoot you?!" Susie shouted,

"Well, yeah, but it wasn't intentional. Look, he got over the nightmares after that but still felt really bad. And if I am being honest, I was still pretty pissed at him. So he promised to take me on a little getaway." Lucy continued, as she begun the story.

* * *

_The sun was raining down on them, as the couple walked across the rocky wasteland. The sun baked the two's bodies, as they continued their journey away from their home. It had been three days since James opened fire on Lucy in their home, and she had not said a word to him in that time. She had come over to give her a piece of her mind about this little relationship they had, and ended up almost being killed by him. She wanted to tell him she didn't just jump into bed with anyone, she was attracted to him and thought he was such a sweeties. But in the time since he had done her that favour they only ever hooked up, and never did anything else. No dinner dates, no labels, just sex. And now he thought brining her out into the hot wasteland on a journey to god knew where was going to make up for it?_

"_Where the hell are we going?" Lucy barked, as James turned around to face her. _

"_I thought you weren't talking to me?" James smiled, his fuck you smile that she had grown to recognise but was not in the mood for. _

"_I am when you're dragging me across the frigging wasteland on one of the hottest days I've ever seen." Lucy shouted, still mad at him over her attempted murder. _

"_So…you admit we are talking again?" James continued, in the hopes his boyish charm cheered her up a little. It didn't. _

"_YOU TRIED TO SHOOT ME!" Lucy pointed out, as James pushed his palm to his face. _

"_And I said I'm sorry. I didn't mean to try and shoot you!" James said through his hands, muffling his own speech by keeping his hand where it was. _

"_Oh my boyfriend tries to kill me and I am supposed to think everything's okay?" Lucy asked, walking straight up to James and glaring into his eyes. _

"_You know what, No!" Lucy declared, sitting down on a rock nearby. Crossing her legs, she sat like one of those women from pre-war times. _

"_No what, Lucy?" James asked, walking over to her. Lucy cocked her head to her right, avoiding looking at James directly. _

"_Are you really doing this?" James asked, realising she was acting this way because she had broken her silence. _

"_I am not taking another step further till you tell me where you are taking me." Lucy explained, still looking off into the distance. _

"_It's a surprise! I told you this!" James answered, raising his hands into the air in annoyance. _

"_Then its going to be a big surprise when you show up alone, wont it?" Lucy said smiling, causing James to lower his arms, shoulders and head in defeat. _

"_Tenpenny Towers." James admitted in defeat, spoiling the surprise for the company he brought. _

"_Are you serious?" Lucy said, snapping her head forward with an expression of shock on her face._

"_Surprised?" James asked, his fuck you smile returning. _

"_You got us a room in Tenpenny Towers?" Lucy said, disbelief and suspicion in her tone. _

"_Yeah, I did some work for the boss and the residents there." James responded, that annoying smug smile still on his face. _

"_You don't believe me?" James asked, raising an eyebrow to Lucy but remained smiling. _

"_No I don't." Lucy responded, a smile coming to her own face now. _

"_Well, come with me and see then." James responded, noticing her smile. _

"_You know, I will come. But not because you asked, but because I want you to see the expression on my face when you get turned away at the door." Lucy said, her smile now completely visible thanks to his dedication to what must have been a lie. _

_Arriving at the gates of Tenpenny towers, the two stood in front of the intercom. Lucy couldn't wait to see what happened next. If she was honest, if this was a lie it meant he was willing to go so far just to get her to talk to him again. This she could live with, but wouldn't let him live it down. Clearing his throat as he pressed the button, James waited for the response._

"_We have no more room, GO AWAY!" the voice shouted, causing James to have a confused look cross his face. _

"_It's James." James responded, smiling at Lucy. _

"_JAMES WHO!?" the voice barked, causing James's smile to drop almost instantly. _

_Lucy couldn't help chuckling at James now, whose face had turned a deep red with embarrassment. _

"_James 'I am the guy who fixed your fucking ghoul problem' Cole." James shouted, now feeling like a complete ass in front of Lucy. Whom he was convinced now thought he was lying about their room. _

"_Oh…sorry sir. Yes come right in." The voice responded, sounding like he had just stepped in a big piece of crap. _

_Lucy watched in shock as the gates opened, and they were welcomed into the legendary Tenpenny Towers. Grabbing her hand, James guided her slowly into the amazing pre-war resort. _

_Entering the suite, Lucy stood and stared in astonishment as James came in after her. It was perhaps the most beautiful room she had ever seen. James was leaning against the dresser just smiling at Lucy now, the proud smile on his face just annoying her. _

"_So, am I forgiven?" James asked, walking over to Lucy and wrapping his arms around her. _

"_How's about we get some dinner first, then I'll think about it." Lucy responded, slipping his arms off her body._

"_The more expensive, the closer you will get to being forgiven." Lucy continued, walking over to the mirror. _

"_You want a romantic holo movie like experience, don't you?" James sighed, giving Lucy a great idea._

"_You know, sure. Do that, and then I'll forgive you." Lucy answered, smiling and causing James to sigh deeply and drop his shoulders. Lucy felt like she had won. _

"_Deal. Go buy yourself a dress, and meet me at the Café." James agreed, much to the surprise of Miss West._

* * *

"And then what happened?" Susie interrupted, curious as to whether this was actually the same man they were talking about. *

James didn't really seem like a romantic, more a wham bam thank you ma'am kind of guy. Now that she thought about it however, he did come back to a home that wanted him dead just because Amata asked for his help. After the way they treated him, anyone else would have left them to rot. Or maybe he just wanted to go home? She didn't know, but this story was making James sound more and more like a guy from a romance novel. As opposed to the man who killed a vault security officer with his bare hands.

"I am getting to that. This is a long story ya know?" Lucy explained, smiling at Susie who listened attentively.

"Oh sorry." Susie apologised.

"Where was I?" Lucy asked rhetorically, as she continued the story.

* * *

_Stepping into Boutique Le Chic, Lucy would admit she felt out of place. There were all these beautiful dresses, and wonderful accessories. The only part of the store that reminded Lucy she had not travelled back in time to pre-war times, was a ghoul looking at a dress in the corner of the room. She found herself suddenly cornered by a woman, who had marched over to her upon noticing a new face in her boutique. _

"_My my my." She said, as she grabbed Lucy's face and forcibly moved from left to right. _

"_Excellent Bone structure." She continued, her eyes squinting as she looked at the young woman's face. _

"_Um…thanks. Can you let go of my face now?" Lucy pleaded through her squished face. _

"_Of course. I think I have the perfect outfit for you." The woman stated, releasing her fingers grip on Lucy's face. _

"_I am Lydia Montenegro. I'm sure you've heard of me and my shop, Boutique le Chic?" Lydia proclaimed, sounding like she was advertising herself. _

"_Um…no I don't think so?" Lucy answered, wondering if this woman was really all there or not. _

"_Hmm, perhaps you don't travel in the right circles. Shame really, such a fantastic figure and amazing bone structure." Lydia examined, placing her hands on her hips and looking Lucy up and down. _

"_Right…Um, I'm here for a dress." Lucy explained, feeling a little violated by this woman's gaze. _

"_Of course you are my dear, but what kind?" Lydia asked, raising an eyebrow to the young woman. _

"_Um…a pretty one?" Lucy asked, not sure of how to respond to such a question. _

"_No no no. I mean what's the occasion?" Lydia asked, leaning in closer to Lucy. _

"_My boyfriend almost shot me, and now I wanna show him exactly why he should be sorry." Lucy explained, now feeling like she was a mole rat among deathclaws. _

"_Ah I have the perfect outfit for you. But it isn't cheap." Lydia smiled, walking back to the counter._

"_He's paying." Lucy smiled, following Lydia towards the counter. _

"_A woman after my own heart." Lydia stated, a hint of glee in her tone._

* * *

_Lucy smiled as she left the store, wearing her new dress in pride as she marched toward__s the café. The dress itself was a mix of blue fabric, and showed just enough cleavage to show off what she had, without revealing too much skin. It was a long dress that stopped at her knees in the front, but continued down her legs around the back. A strap ran over her left shoulder, but there were no sleeves on it. Lucy couldn't help but think how impractical this dress would be in the wasteland, but enjoyed how she turned heads as she walked towards the café. Her wasteland clothes were sent to her room by Lydia, who actually thought it would be more a righteous act to burn them._

_She entered the café, and saw James almost immediately. To her shock, James was dressed in a buttoned shirt, and not his usual dirty t-shirt that he bought from a traveling Junk salesmen. Most of his clothes had bullet holes in them, which were either made by James either getting shot at or James shooting the former owner. So to see him in a dress shirt was rather shocking. _

"_You're here." James smiled, as he got up to greet her. _

_James stopped before her, and looked pretty astonished at how amazing she looked. He had only seen her in two ways up to now. In her usual clothes, and naked. _

"_Wow." He said smiling, analysing the dress she was wearing. _

"_Oh you like it?" Lucy asked, smiling in the hopes she could will herself not to blush. _

"_So what's your plan? Lucy said, smiling as James stayed standing. Grabbing his hand, he lifted her off the seat slowly. _

"_Well, I believe dancing is customary in this situation." James said stepping out on the floor, before nodding at Margaret. _

_The radio had its volume turned up, and the song "I don't want to set the world on Fire" began to play. Taking her hand, James began to dance slowly with Lucy. Lucy couldn't help but blush now, as they were the only ones dancing. However, embarrassment aside, Lucy felt James's heartbeat as she rested her head on his chest. _

"_What happened to you?" Lucy asked, tears swelling in her eyes. *_

"_Gonna have to be more specific." James smirked, as he hummed the song that serenaded them. _

"_Please no jokes." Lucy sobbed, as she felt her hands grip James's shirt. _

"_I'm sorry." James apologised, kissing Lucy on the top of her head. _

"_You weren't always like this, I know that. So what happened?" Lucy asked, tears running down both her face and James's shirt. _

"_Lucy…" James said, as their dancing slowed down noticeably. _

"_Please, I won't tell anyone. I promise." Lucy pleaded, breathing into James's chest. _

"_Lucy. I did what I had to do." James said, with sadness heavy on his breath. _

"_I can't be with you, and be afraid you'll kill me if I nudge you in your sleep." Lucy said, as the song in the background was coming to an end. _

"_I promise…it won't happen again." James said as they stopped dancing, the music still playing. Lucy raised her head, and looked into the eyes of her lover. _

"_But. What if…." James cut off Lucy by pressing his finger to her lips._

"_Shhh." He hushed Lucy, before pressing his lips against hers. Her hands that clenched his shirt tightened, then relaxed on his chest. This warm and caring embrace, from someone who she barely knew. Someone who wouldn't talk about his childhood, or anything before a month after his return from the Pitt. Someone who almost shot her. Someone, who brought her to the safest place in the wasteland to apologise. Someone who paid for her new dress. Someone who she was convinced she was falling in love with._

* * *

_After the dinner, James and Lucy went out on the balcony of their suit and looked at the moonlight. They cuddled with each other on the lounge chair, and looked up to the sky. It was such a perfect evening._

"_I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Lucy apologised, to a smiling James. _

"_Holy crap, did you just apologise?" James said in minor shock._

"_Wait, so you forgive me?" James asked, hoping to get verification. _

"_Yes, I forgive you. God, did it have to be said?" Lucy chuckled, as she hugged James's strong body. _

"_I thought so. Good thing too, I didn't have much else up my sleeve tonight to keep you quiet." James acknowledged, smiling as she pinched James's chest causing him to jump a little. _

"_You are such an asshole." Lucy stated, sighing as they laid back down together. _

_She lay in his arms, her ear listening to his heartbeat. His fingers gently running through her hair, as his arms held her close. Lucy felt safe, and weak in his arms. Something she rarely felt with men, but she did with him. Lucy wished the world would stop and freeze them in this moment, so that the moment they were in would never end. *_

"_Soooo…" James began, causing Lucy to raise her head towards her lover. _

"_Don't ruin it." She warned, raising a finger pointed directly at him. _

"_Ruin what?!" James asked, confused as to what she was referring to, but still smiling. _

"_Just don't." Lucy warned, hoping he wasn't going to say something stupid. _

"_I just have a question…" James persisted, his arms hugging her. _

"_What?" Lucy grunted, moving in his arms before she came face to face with him. _

"_Did you enjoy yourself?" James asked, as they looked into each other's eyes. _

"_It was like something out of a story book." Lucy said softly, her lips inches way from him. So close they could feel each other's breath on their lips. _

"_Really? Hmmm…" James said smiling, his soft green eyes looking away from her baby blues. _

"_Another question." He continued, returning his gaze to hers. _

"_Last one?" Lucy asked, smirking at him now._

"_Last one." James agreed, looking at her with a boyish mischief. _

"_What?" Lucy asked. _

"_Am I gonna get laid tonight?" James asked, causing Lucy to roll her eyes. _

"_DAH!" Lucy smiled, before the two lovers kissed once again._

* * *

_**A/N 2: What a long chapter. Wasnt that sweet at the end? I thought so, but then again I wrote it. I hope you all enjoy this, and if anyone has any questions feel free to PM me or write it down in a review. I am happy to answer any questions about my story (For the record, the random fan joke is something I enjoy doing, when I think I have taken a long time releasing a chapter). Explaining time. **_

_**1\. The shower system felt like a mandatory thing. I mean nobody is going to take a swim in the Megaton Bombs pound to bathe are they? Plus, every house should have a bathroom and tub. The pipline quest was just a nice way to combine the two together. **_

_**2\. Butch doesnt like Wadsworth, and I am sure the feeling would be mutual if Wadsworth was honest. Butch also feels the need to be the toughest guy in the room, which in D.C's Wasteland is hard to do. He also has a soft spot for Susie, as they are in the same boat being strangers to the outside of the Vault. **_

_**3\. Susie's need for identity outside of her families name is shown in her acceptance of the nickname Birthmark Butt. Now she is in a place where the Mack reputation is known only to Butch and her Crush. Also Birthmark Butt, was a name I came up with when thinking of something that sounded like a childs nick name, but would be something that she always had. Something that made her an individual. **_

_**4\. Lucy West and Wadsworth are on good times, despite her being his masters ex lover. Lucy's appearance and as to why she has shown up unannounced to James's house will be explained in the next chapter. **_

_**5\. Butchs inability to sing, but habit of singing in the shower is actually based on a friend of mine I lived with last year. He was completely tone deaf, but kept singing whenever he was in the shower. **_

_**6\. James tried to shoot Lucy when she woke him up because of *Ding Ding* The Pitt. James had to learn to be ready to kill whether he was awake or sleeping. Sleeping with one eye open, or a gun by your side. He eventually was able to sleep more peacefully, as seen when Dogmeat woke him up in Homeward Bound. **_

_**7\. This is the first time we see someone interrupt the story. **_

_**8\. Now this whole scene is not suppose to reveal any true love, but more a moment in most relationships where the everything seems right and good in the world. Where there is love between the two is strongest, where someone is convinced this is the person they are supposed to be with. **_

_**9\. Sweet romantic feeling, felt right to do. **_

_**10\. This is just an extra part I want to point out, This is the first time a story has been told were we see a happy or more sane James. A closer version to what we have seen so far with Homeward Bound.**_

_**The next chapter will consist of the Lucy's story continuing, but this time the mood will shift. Hmm I wonder what could happen at a Tenpenny Tower populated by Ghouls and Humans living in Harmony? **_

Random Fan 5: Wow...Spoilers Much?

_**Jay08: If you dont know what happens in Tenpenny Tower it is, but if you do, who cares, its still gonna be fun to read. **_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: This is possibly the longest chapter I have ever written for any of my stories. More at the Bottom as to why this took so long. Remember to R&amp;R**_

* * *

Susie looked over at Lucy, as Wadsworth began clearing the plates from the table. James sounded like a completely different person in Lucy's story, which made Susie a little sceptical of its authenticity. But none the less, Susie was curious as to the story itself.

"That sounds like an amazing night." Susie said, a little disbelief in her tone as she drank from the bottle of cola.

"Well it was a great day… until a bunch of ghouls tried to kill everyone in the tower." Lucy explained, causing Susie to return her attention to her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, hearing the pounding of footsteps descending the stairs her back faced.

"Oh yeah. I was just getting to that part. No point in telling you half of the story, is there?" Lucy explained, a smile crossing her face.

"Why did you stop?" Susie asked, raising an eyebrow to the blonde woman.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear the sex stuff, or not. Hello." Lucy greeted quickly, as Butch stared in a bewildered manner at the woman.

"Um…hey." Butch responded, confused as to the identity of the woman.

"I'm Lucy." Lucy greeted, smiling at Butch who still looked half asleep.

"Wait…the ex?" Butch asked, grinning at how awkward this must be for Susie.

"That would be me, yes." Lucy answered, verifying her identity to Butch.

"Butch…nice to meet you. Hey Butler. Can I get some Breakfast?" Butch said, before announcing an order to a busy Wadsworth.

"I am unsure. Are you legs still functioning?" Wadsworth asked, bringing the look of confusion back to Butch.

"Yes?" Butch answered.

"Excellent. Than you can get off your behind, and make it yourself." Wadsworth retorted, causing Butch to grumble as he walked towards the fridge.

"So, will we get back to the story?" Lucy asked, looking back towards Susie.

"Oh…um…maybe leave the sex stuff out." Susie said, not really wanting to hear about James's sex life.

"You sure?" Lucy asked.

"I don't believe Miss Susie would enjoy hearing about the coitus you and my master shared, Madam West." Wadsworth explained, while hovering past them.

"Your choice." Lucy said, smiling as she began to recall where she was in the story.

* * *

_The door was pounded on repeatedly, causing James to stop what he was doing and answer the door to the suite. _

"_Oh…sir are you aware you are naked and have a pair of handcuffs hanging from your wrist?" The Mister Handy unit asked._

* * *

"Wait! I said no sex stuff." Susie interrupted, her face a bright red from the image of James naked.

"Oh come on, don't be a prude. I wasn't telling you what had happened, just how this started. He being naked is part of the story." Lucy explained, returning to the story.

* * *

_Lucy lay on the bed exhausted, her naked body spread out across the bed sheets. James still stood naked in front of the Mister Handy unit, glaring at him in great distaste. He was wondering what was so damn important, that the unit had to interrupt them._

"_Sir…are you in distress?" Godfrey asked, as James stood with a look of utter contempt. _

"_Am I in…what kind of fucking question is that? Do I look like I am in distress?" James asked, anger and annoyance in his tone. _

"_You are naked sir, and appear to have been handcuffed." Godfrey pointed out, causing James to raise his hand to his face. _

"_I am not in distress…" James glared, after he ran his hand over his face. _

"_James…" Lucy moaned, raising her hand towards James. _

"_I'll be there in a minute." James responded, before turning back towards Godfrey. _

"_Sir… I have been alerted to certain noise complaints from the floors below." Godfrey began, before James interrupted him. _

"_And I will give you my opinion on said complaints." James responded, as he slammed the door in the robots face. _

"_What was that about?" Lucy asked, rolling her body up in the sheets. _

"_Something about a noise complaint…" James smiled, as he approached her slowly. _

"_We weren't that loud were we?" Lucy asked, a hint of embarrassment on her face._

"_Who cares?" James asked, a grin on his face as he stood before her. _

"_You coming back to bed or not?" Lucy asked, sharing in James's lack of concern for the noise they were making. _

"_Do I look stupid?" James asked, crawling on the bed towards Lucy. _

"_You really want me to answer that?" Lucy asked, smiling at him. _

_At that moment, another thud was heard coming from the door. This one was louder, and somewhat less mechanical than the polite knock the Germanic accented robot had given moments prior. The knocking now had become much louder, but held a constant slow pace between thumps. James rolled his eyes and turned towards the door. Letting out a deep sigh, he was about to tell this robot exactly what he could do with that noise complaint. _

"_Come on James, just ignore him." Lucy said, as she watched him get up and walk towards the door once again. _

"_I won't be long." James said, smiling back at her._

_As James opened the door, a ghoul tackled him to the ground. The ghoul snarled as it tried to bite out its victim throat._

* * *

"Hold up, something like that thing from the bar tried to kill you guys?" Butch asked, astonishment on his face.

"I'm going to guess, you're talking about Gob?" Lucy asked, raising a judgemental eyebrow at Butch.

"Yeah, him!" Butch verified, as Lucy rolled her eyes to this statement.

"Yes, and no." Lucy answered, thinking to herself for a moment.

"More feral and crazy than Gob." Lucy explained, as simply as she thought she would have to, to a bunch of vaulties.

"But why keep him around? I mean if he's dangerous?" Butch asked, voicing both his and Susie's concern.

"Why keep James around, if he's even more dangerous?" Lucy asked.

"Well that's different…isn't it?" Susie asked, wondering what was meant by this statement.

It was true, that James was now capable of killing people, but had he really gone that far to garner the reputation of being dangerous? He had changed so much since his days as a Vault dweller, but she hadn't even considered just how much he may have changed till now.

"Because he's human?" Lucy asked, a sense of disgust in her tone.

"You do know that there are things out there in the wasteland that shake in fear at the mention of the name 'The Lone Wanderer'." Lucy stated, her tone more judgemental with each passing word.

"So better question…who should you be more afraid of? A person that looks like a monster? Or the man the real monsters are afraid of?" Lucy asked, her tone finally calming down to a more condescending tone rather than an aggressive one.

"Now, can I go on?" Lucy asked, gaining nods of approval from the two.

* * *

_Lucy screamed, as James began wrestling with the ghoul trying to overpower the vicious feral. Rolling on top of the ghoul, James gripped its throat and began punching its face repeatedly. Harder and harder he fist landed, as he squeezed its neck tighter. Lucy finally had to pull him off of the dead ghoul, whose death had occurred moments earlier. _

"_JAMES STOP!" Lucy shouted, trying to hold him back from another assault on the corpse. _

_James's fists were caked in blood, his breathing heavy and his gaze distant. He snapped out of this state almost instantaneously, but not out of his own free will. Rather he was released from this state by the snarling sound of a second ghoul charging towards the door. Kicking the door shut and lunging towards it to keep it shut and the ghoul out, James looked towards Lucy who was now quickly getting dressed. _

"_What the hell is happening here!?" Lucy asked, fear and rage in her tone. _

_James wasn't sure himself, one thing he was certain of was that if he lived through this, he would never let some stupid guard take his weapons from him again. This was not just because James was an outsider mind you, it was simply policy that all people allowed to enter Tenpenny towers be relinquished of their weapons. The only exceptions to this policy were the guards and…._

"_DASHWOOD!" James blurted out, remembering that on the 7th floor lived the great adventurer Herbert "Daring" Dashwood and his collection of rifles and weapons from his youth. _

"_What the hell are you saying?" Lucy asked, in a panicked state at the fact they were unarmed on the top floor of a ten story complex filled with rampaging feral ghouls. _

"_I know someone who has weapons, but we need to get to the seventh floor." James explained smiling, as the door got harder and harder to keep closed. _

"_And how do you expect us to get down to the 7__th__ floor?" Lucy asked standing up, now fully clothed._

"_I have two ideas…but I need you to hold this door shut as tight as you can." James said, looking around the room and noticing some items that he could use to his advantage. _

"_Why?" Lucy asked, worried if she was even capable of holding the door as long as he had been. _

"_Because we have to leave this room for part of my plan." James explained, as Lucy nodded and pressed her body against the door. Relieving James of this duty, he began to run around the room, searching for items. Grabbing several items, he cleared off the table without regard to the items on it. _

"_And this goes…there, and….better forget the pin." He began to mutter as he assembled something. _

_Running over to her, James held his arm to the door helping Lucy hold back the ghouls. In his other hand, James held a small tin can. Lucy could only think to herself in a sarcastic manner, "Yeah that will help."_

"_On the count of three, open the door. Wait for them all to pile in and then get the hell out of the room and close the door behind you. If there's any of them out there, avoid them until I get out there with you." James explained, and Lucy nodded in agreement to whatever this plan was. _

_On the count of three, she and James opened the door and watched ghouls scatter and fall inside of the room, looking around for their meal in confusion. James and Lucy quickly ducked out of the room, and thankfully there was no other ghouls outside. This fact disappointed James for the Mila-second he could think before instinct took hold on him. Throwing the tin can behind him into the room, he quickly slammed the door behind Lucy and himself. Moments later, a chaotic explosion could be heard from inside the room. James slowly stepped away from the door, his breathing quick and his expression uncertain. _

"_What the hell was that!?" Lucy asked, snapping James out of his daze once again. _

"_Nuka grenade. They may not let us take guns in here, but they have plenty of ingredients to make some homemade stuff." James explained, smiling with a sense of pride about himself. He doubted he could ever do something like that again, or even have noticed those items in his room any other day. But today, he was just lucky. And he often had to bring into question, how much luck he had left to spare?_

"_Grab the fire hose, and I'll grab the extinguisher." James ordered, walking over to the fire extinguisher and ripping it from the wall. He then ripped the cord from its metal cylinder, causing the inside form to spray outward. He threw the cylinder across the room, as he seemed to be only after the cord. It landed near the mangled body of the Mister Handy Unit known as Godfrey, who apparently fell victim to the ghouls moments after James had slammed the door in his face. _

"_Why?" Lucy asked, following her naked lover over to the fire equipment. _

"_Do you see any other weapons we can use around here?" James asked, talking to her as if she was Jericho. _

_Lucy didn't appreciate being talked to like an idiot, but realised that he wasn't doing it out of malice, but because he wanted no harm to come to her. She would still remind him of this little outburst later, after they were safe. _

"_Can't you make more? Of those Nuka grenades, I mean?" Lucy asked, seeing having them as a great advantage right now. _

"_Not unless you have some Nuka Cola Quantum hanging around." James explained, dashing the hopes of an easy fight._

"_Are you gonna get your clothes now?" Lucy asked, realising that James was still naked. A fact that now had occurred to James now, as well as another fact that he had not considered. _

"_Shit…" James muttered, as he buried his face into his blood caked hands, and then ran them through his hair. His face now baring a new expression, at least one she had never seen before. One that resembled the realisation of stupidity. _

"_What?" Lucy asked, knowing that he had done something either very stupid or careless. _

"_See…Nuka grenades kinda erupt into flames and burn everything…"James explained emphasising everything and trying hard to avoid announcing the predictable faith of his clothing. _

"_You just burnt all your clothes, didn't you?" Lucy said, an extremely annoyed look on her face. Not only would she be running around with her naked boyfriend, which was just embarrassing, but he had just burnt that new shirt he was wearing just hours earlier. She had liked that shirt on him. _

"_Yup." James admitted, a guilty smile on his face as he blushed in embarrassment. _

"_And now, you are gonna fight naked through an army of rampaging ghouls." Lucy asked, not sure if now was the time to literally slap some sense into her blockheaded boyfriend. _

"_I guess…" James admitted, sounding more like a scared child than the wastelander he would often refer to himself as being. _

_Lucy wasn't happy about the situation, but couldn't do much to change it now, could she? It wasn't like he did it on purpose, or at least she hoped it wasn't on purpose. But of course, in the back of her mind she knew he wasn't incapable of doing something that stupid on purpose. _

"_So are we taking the elevator or the stairs to your friend?" Lucy asked, attempting to think of anything else besides her boyfriend's nudity. _

"_Elevators probably shut down, and the stairs are probably crawling with ghouls. So neither." James said, realising that there were not many safe options for them at the moment. But there was one very unsafe option. _

"_Then… we're stuck?" Lucy said, knowing the look on James's face either meant bad news or he had an idea. _

"_Okay… I gotta ask you something." James said, realising he was about to take a huge risk. _

"_What?" Lucy answered, as James began pulling the fire hose out from the wall. _

"_Do you trust me?" James asked, opening the door to the public balcony. _

_There were in fact balconies in each bedroom on the top floor, but just like every other floor it had a public one. One for the visitors of high profile guests to relax on, and enjoy the view while they waited for the guest they were visiting. However, Lucy knew that they were on the top floor, and that the hose wasn't long enough to shimmy down to the ground floor, if that indeed was James's plan. Regardless, she followed him out on to the balcony. _

"_Um…I don't know if I want to answer that." Lucy asked, weary of the question she had just been asked. _

"_Do you trust me?" James repeated, holding the long fire hose in his left hand and the cord in his right. _

"_I guess." Lucy finally answered, bringing a chuckle out of James. _

"_Okay. Then come here." James called out, motioning for her to come closer. Which she did, causing James to begin wrapping the hose around the two of them._

"_What are you doing?" Lucy asked, as James held her closer to his body. _

"_Wrapping the hose around us." James explained, as he tightened the hose with the extinguishers cord. _

"_Why do I get the feeling I am not gonna like what's coming next?" Lucy asked, as James stood up on the ledge, forcing her to follow him. _

_Lucy looked out over the wasteland, this beautiful night that only hours earlier the two sat under in total bliss. Now, it was like a completely different night to her. One of bloodshed and horror. But despite this feeling of dread that washed over her, Lucy felt safe in James's arms. _

"_Because you're not." James admitted, ripping any feeling of sanctuary Lucy had asunder. _

"_Is there any point to me objecting?" Lucy asked, holding James close, an unnecessary action but a comforting one despite. James wrapped his arms around her, and rested his chin on her head._

"_Just hold on." He silently whispered, as he jumped back off the ledge into the air that separated the cold concrete below from them._

* * *

"YOU JUMPED OUT A FREAKIN WINDOW!?" Butch exclaimed, looking in amazement at Lucy.

"It's not like I volunteered to do it." Lucy stated, as she recalled the experience in a rather negative light.

"You must have been so scared." Susie stated, as she looked in shock at Lucy.

"I was…James on the other hand…well." Lucy said, as her face turned to a judgemental frown.

* * *

_James let out an enthusiastic shout, as they descended down the side of the building. Lucy on the other hand, screamed with fear as they fell. The hose finally reached its limit, and swung them towards another balcony. They swung towards the ledge, and thanks to the momentum behind their fall, through the balcony door. The hose was now suffocatingly tight around them, but James quickly fixed this by undoing the knots he made in the hose that held them together. They sat on the floor and looked at each other. Lucy's heart was pounding a mile a second. Her breath was heavy and strained. And her adrenaline was going into overdrive. She felt like she was about to have a heart attack. James on the other hand, had a different reaction. _

"_HOLY SHIT! THAT WAS AWESOME!" He shouted with an enthusiastic roar._

"_Can you believe how far we fell!? That was so damn cool!" He announced, making Lucy want to hit him very very hard. _

_Lucy now felt something else. Anger. A lot of pure, unadulterated anger towards the man whose arms she felt safe in a minute ago. Motivated by this anger, Lucy slapped James across his face. Not only shutting him up, but wiping his_ _enthusiastic grin from it as well. _

"_YOU MEAN YOU NEVER FUCKING DID THAT BEFORE?!" Lucy barked, tears in her eyes as she brushed glass from her clothes. _

"_YOU COULD HAVE GOT US KILLED! YOU FUCKING SHIT HEADED INCONSIDERATE ASSHOLE!" She roared, as she now stood over James. _

_It was then that she noticed the glass littering the ground they landed on. It was of course from the balcony door they had crashed into, and normally this kind of thing wouldn't phase her. However, the fact that James was naked meant he was more vulnerable to the shards on the ground. Which, upon closer inspection, was revealed to be indeed true. James had lacerations all over his body now, some of which had pieces of wood or glass in them. James was either trying to play the tough guy, or his adrenaline levels were blocking out the pain. _

"_Little Missy, would you please keep it down?" A voice from behind them asked, one clearly coming from an aged man. _

"_We don't want to attract further unwanted attention now do we?" He continued, his calming yet familiar voice ringing in her ears. _

"_Hey Herbert." James greeted, sluggishly getting to his feet. _

"_Why if it isn't my good friend Jimmy, and who may I ask is this enchanting lady?" Herbert asked, smiling as he took Lucy's hand and kissed it softly. _

"_This is Lucy, she's my…..Um…I don't know." James said, looking over at Lucy with a perplexed gaze. _

"_WHAT?!" Lucy shouted, taking her hand from Herbert and turned to face her boyfriend. _

"_Well your super pissed at me again, and I don't know if I am supposed to call you my girlfriend anymore or not?" James said, unsure if he and Lucy were still together as he had never seen her this pissed off before. _

"_WHY THE HELL NOT?!" Lucy barked, as she pushed James to the wall. Which in his weakened state, had caused James to almost lose his footing and fall to the floor again. _

"_Because you're super pissed!" James repeated._

"_MAYBE I WOULD BE LESS PISSED AT YOU, IF YOU STOPPED DOING STUPID SHIT! Example: Jumping off a fucking balcony and getting cut up by crashing into the door of another balcony." Lucy continued, her face red with rage and her words carried by the anger she felt._

"_That saved our lives!" James argued, shouting back at her in an attempt to show her that he was doing it in their best interest. _

"_It could have killed us!" Lucy argued, feeling like she would kill James herself now. _

"_Excuse me! But could you two stop bickering long enough to answer my question." Herbert announced, now feeling a little irritated at the two young people. _

"_I'm sorry. My name is Lucy, Lucy West." Lucy said, embarrassed at her outburst, but still angry at James. _

"_Herbert. Herbert Dashwood. Herbert "Daring" Dashwood." Herbert introduced, as James realised that Herbert was really laying the charm thick on Lucy. _

"_Oh wow, you mean the guy from the radio?" Lucy smiled, letting the fan inside of her come out for a moment. _

"_Yes my dear, in the flesh." He smiled, as he shook her hand. _

"_Say, Herbert can I get a stimpack from you?" James asked, reminding the two of his presence once again. _

"_I will do you one further my boy, and give you some clothes as well." Herbert offered, as James smiled back at him. _

"_Thank you sir." Lucy said, feeling honoured to meet the legend himself._

* * *

"So who's this Dashwood guy?" Butch asked, looking at the woman with a strange gaze.

"Herbert Daring Dashwood was an adventurer, and had a radio serial about his adventures that ran on Galaxy news radio." Wadsworth explained, revealing the identity of the man in the story.

"Yeah. I can't believe you guys never heard of him." Lucy said, a look of smugness on her face.

"We were living in a vault, remember?" Susie reminded, not overly fond of Lucy's assumption.

"Oh right. Sorry." Lucy apologised.

"Why wasn't there any ghouls on his floor?" Susie asked.

"Herbert must have killed any that were there before we arrived." Lucy answered.

"So what happened then?" Butch asked, waiting eagerly for the conclusion to the story.

"You know, for someone so interested in this story, you sure interrupt a lot." Lucy pointed out, smiling cheekily at the two.

"Sorry." Butch said, much to Lucy's delight.

"Okay. No more interruption." Lucy said, waging her finger at them.

* * *

_Entering Dashwood's room, Lucy was still amazed that James knew Herbert Dashwood. The man whose exploits were announced over the radio every day at 5pm. Was meeting him part of the idiots plan to make up for almost shooting her? It wouldn't surprise her if at some point he was going to introduce her to him. Dashwood handed James a bundle of clothes, and a stimpack. He washed the blood from his hands and his face, and injected himself with the stimpack. The wounds on his body began to close and heal slowly. He began getting dressed right there in the middle of the room. Dashwood pulled out something from under his bed that was wrapped in a very old blanket, and dropped it on his bed. Unwrapping it, Lucy saw the weapons and ammo it held on display. There was a shotgun, two rifles, and two handguns before her. James had just finished getting dressed, when he walked over to the bed to look at the guns. He was wearing a brown sweater, darker brown pants, and a brown pair of shoes. _

"_Any explosives?" James asked, looking over the weaponry. _

"_Sonny, I would prefer to keep your hands free of explosives." Dashwood explained, causing a grin to pass James's face. _

"_Didn't know you were so concerned about me." James smugly announced, before Dashwood slapped him across the head. _

"_You are quite foolish to believe I am just concerned for your wellbeing. More for hers." Dashwood explained, as James rubbed his head in pain. _

"_Understood." James agreed, remembering that Lucy was in fact there._

"_We are pulling out all the stops against these poor creatures aren't we?" Herbert asked, looking over at the young couple. _

"_Well, I wouldn't really call it that. I'd say we're just defending ourselves." James answered, looking at Lucy before looking back at Herbert. _

"_Tell me, was this your first time here?" Herbert asked Lucy, a sad smile crossing his face as he looked at hers. _

"_Um…yes it was." Lucy answered, an eyebrow raised at the question. _

"_Shame that you had to see it like this." Herbert responded, the sadness growing in his tone. _

"_The Tower we knew is gone, replaced with this…this hell." He continued. _

"_I never much cared for this place as it was, always seemed rather stuck up for my liking." James confessed, looking around the room for a moment. _

"_I would agree with you sonny. I never saw eye to eye with Tenpenny, but…the people here felt safe and secure in his tower. The stores, the food, the people, all made this into what the other wastelanders perceived it as. A safe haven. You could always rely on Shakes to have the coldest beer, and neatest whiskey in the wasteland. This was good, because the only thing worse than warm beer was Shake's horrible jokes. I always told him to get a new humour emitter, but he never did. Everyone knew of my exploits, and I knew they would mock me behind my back. But that Susan Lancaster, she was always so nice to this old man. I knew what she was, but that never changed how I felt about her. I felt warm and happy when I was with her, especially when we would talk afterwards. She was always so interested in my old tales, said she was my biggest fan. She would make me feel so young with her smile, and yet had the saddest eyes when I would notice her with other men. And then there was Margaret Primrose, she would always have such a variety of meals on her menu. Some with French names, but those were just for show. Her cooking wasn't amazing, but I didn't have the heart to tell her that I had my best meals in a Brothel called Blue Destiny. So I would swallow the truth and her food, bite after bite. No matter the taste." Herbert confessed, sounding so sincere in his tone and yet so sad in his voice._

"_Herbert…" James said quietly, realising that this must have been hard to say. _

"_I am not going to miss this tower, but those people who lived here. Everyone from Shakes, to Miss Lancaster herself. These ghouls were welcomed with open arms, and then they took advantage of the generous folks that lived here. And now, they're all probably dead. Men who had a sense of justice. Children who had their loved ones taken from them. Those who fought to protect someone else. Why did they have to lay down their lives? You and me, Jimmy. We will avenge all the innocence that were lost today." Herbert announced, a look of utter anger and sadness now on his face. A look in his eyes, that James was sure had not seen the light of day for some time. _

"_You got that right, Herbert." James announced, smiling at the old man as Lucy's eyes watered with tears of compassion. Wiping them away, Lucy smiled at James, forgiving him for now. _

"_Now! Any preference of weapon?" James asked, looking at the two of them. _

"_A rifle will do me fine." Herbert answered, grabbing a rifle and two boxes of ammo. _

"_I'll take a handgun, and the shot gun." James said, grabbing the shotgun, loading it, and then slinging it over his shoulder. Taking both handguns and loading them, before handing one to Lucy._

"_I suppose I'll take the other rifle too." Lucy stated, grabbing the one box of ammo that remained for the rifle._

"_So is there a plan, or are we just going to kill every ghoul we see?" James asked, ready to either follow a plan or shoot the hell out of all the feral bastards he saw. _

"_There's a utility tunnel below, that's where these ghouls are coming from. Someone must have opened it." Dashwood explained, catching both James and Lucy's attention. _

"_And I guess it's my job to close it." James smiled, realising that the old man couldn't get down all those stairs._

"_Take my key, and try not to lose it please." Herbert smiled, handing the key over to James. _

"_No promises." James smiled, as he knew Herbert was just trying to lighten the mood in his own way. _

"_Lucy. Let's go." James smiled, walking towards the door. _

"_Okay." Lucy followed behind him, before James stopped on the verge of exit. _

"_Herbert." James said, before turning to face the old man. _

"_Yes?" Herbert asked, confused as to what the young man was doing. _

"_It was truly an honour to serve with you." James said, saluting the old man like a soldier. _

"_Thank you. Protect that fine young lady of yours." Herbert said, gratitude in his tone. _

"_I will." James agreed, smiling and walking towards the stairwell. Lucy followed. _

_Standing just before the stairwell, the two could hear the snarling of the ghouls below. James took a deep breath, and readied himself to kick the door open and attack the ghouls below. Putting the pistol in pants, he slowly reached for the door knob. But was suddenly stopped, by the grip of another's hand. Lucy's. _

_Lucy was scared, and didn't want anyone else to get hurt. After all, this wasn't going to be an easy fight and their ammo supply was pretty low. To top it all off, she didn't want the last thing her and James did was fight. She would have preferred if they made love one last time before they died, or something like that. Anything but fight like they had. Releasing James's hand, she raised it high and rested it on his face, as tears swelled in her eyes. His stubble was prickly, but she didn't care. She knew she couldn't ask him to just leave with her, go out the front door and forget about this tower. He would never do that, no matter the risks involved, if it meant saving people. At least that was the impression he always gave. James placed his hand on hers, and smiled at her. _

"_Stop smiling…please." She pleaded, as James kissed her palm softly squeezing her hand a little as he looked at her. _

"_We're gonna make it through this...I swear." James said, smiling softly at her._

"_You promise?" She asked, looking down to her feet. _

"_I promise. Just stop crying." James pleaded, Lucy raising her head to nod in approval. _

"_You ready?" James asked, smiling and turning back towards the door. _

"_Yeah." Lucy said. _

"_So… here's the plan. We run like hell down each flight until we get to the bottom floor. There, we make it to the utility door as fast as possible." James explained, putting his hand once again on the door knob. _

"_And what if we run into some ghouls on the way?" She asked, knowing the answer before it was even said._

"_WHEN we run into ghouls, we use the guns." James answered, predictably but clarifying Lucy's belief. _

"_Got it." She smiled, readying herself. _

_Running down the stairs, they encountered little to no ghouls at all. James explained that they were probably all on their way to the top, and that Herbert would probably face the worst of them due to the noise they were making taking care of what little ghouls they encountered descending the tower. This was indeed the case, as she could hear the rifle being fired on their way down. Reaching the bottom floor with little to no trouble, James and Lucy stopped at the door leading to the lobby. _

"_The bullets have stopped." James said in concern, looking upwards at the above floors. _

"_We have to keep moving James." Lucy said, pulling James towards the door. _

_The door swung wide open, and before them was about a dozen feral ghouls. Between them, James now had one pistol full of ammo, and a shotgun with six shells left, Lucy on the other hand had only five shots remaining on her rifle and a half empty clip in her pistol. This was partly due to James's preference of using the environment to his advantage. Pulling out his pistol, James jumped on the welcome desk and began firing his gun at the ghouls. To his own admission, he had always wanted to this. Missing a lot of his shots, Lucy covered him by firing what remained in her rifle at the coming ghouls, before having to switch over and empty her pistol doing the same. James smiled when the last ghoul fell to the floor, and dropped the now empty pistol to the floor. _

"_Great work!" James smiled at Lucy, as she nodded back at him. Her breathing quickened, and her rifle empty. _

"_So…where do we go from here?" Lucy asked, looking around the empty lobby. _

"_Through that door." James answered, looking towards the finish line to their journey. _

"_Um…" Lucy started, causing James to turn and face her. _

"_Yeah?" James asked, looking in confusion at the woman. _

"_It's just that, I didn't see a lot of bodies on our way down." Lucy pointed out, stopping James in his tracks. _

"_Actually…now that you mention it. Neither did I." James agreed, a wave of unease now filled the air. _

"_That's a good thing right?" Lucy asked, feeling the same uneasy feeling James felt. _

"_Maybe." James started, and then looked off into the distance._

"_Maybe not." He continued, a glare forming on his face as he said these words._

* * *

"Actually…maybe I should stop here." Lucy stated, a look of concern crossing her face.

"What, why?" Susie asked, now incredibly interested in the story. Hanging off every word the woman before her was saying.

It was true, that at first Susie was unsure of the legitimacy of the woman's statement, but now she found herself believing everything that came from her mouth. Butch was no different, as he too was on the edge of his seat for this adventure down a tower.

"I just don't know if you guys should hear the next part." Lucy explained, feeling a wave of unease spread over her.

"Why the hell not?!" Butch asked, rather aggressively.

Lucy bit her lower lip, as if she was thinking very hard about some reason for her not to finish the story. She looked over the two vault dwellers, and their intrigued faces. It was hopeless now, she realised. The box had been open and she would have to deal with the results.

"You're sure you can handle it?" Lucy asked, still weary of telling the remainder of the story.

"Damn right! This story has everything: Gun fights, diving out of windows, monsters. It's like an action hollo-Vid!" Butch said, a smile and eager gaze on his face.

"Lay it on me baby." Butch said, his overconfident tone a way to further persuade Lucy to finish the story.

"Okay…first off. Never call me baby. Second, I warned you. And third, Wadsworth darling?" Lucy called, smiling innocently at the mister handy unit.

"Yes Madam Lucy?" He asked, welcoming a request from her.

"Could you please prepare us something to eat?" Lucy asked, her tone shifting from strong and mature to childlike and dependent.

"Of course my dear." Wadsworth cheerily accepted, as he floated over to the refrigerator.

"How come you do it when she asked, but when I ask you tell me to get my own?!" Butch shouted, as he erupted from his seat in anger.

"Because Madam Lucy has my respect and friendship. You, I find, are just an annoyance." Wadsworth stated, in what seemed like a much colder tone.

"Wadsworth, please" Lucy asked, causing the robot to return to his work obediently.

Susie would admit, she was impressed with the loyalty Wadsworth seemed to have for Lucy. However, she also had a level of surprise at just how much time had passed since this story began. She was eating breakfast when the story started, and now it was almost 3 pm. Still she wanted to hear the end of the story.

"Why do we need food?" Susie asked, wanting Lucy to return to the story as fast as possible.

"Because I am starving, and if I have to finish this story I want something to eat afterward." Lucy explained, cracking her knuckles as she stretched out in her seat. Her body clearly agitated from sitting in the one spot for such an extended period.

* * *

_They moved slowly down the corridors leading to the maintenance door. James was quiet, making Lucy very uncomfortable. With all the death that surrounded the corridor, Lucy felt like she was walking through a valley of corpses. James on the other hand kept his steady finger on the trigger of his shot gun. Lucy jumped every time she heard a noise, but James remained calm. He was always calm in these kind of situations. Or so it would appear to those on the outside, really James knew that there was only two ways this could end. Either they would die, or they would survive. James stopped before the door, lowering his gun in disbelief at what he was seeing. He had found the bodies. _

_A pile of bodies thrown atop of each other, just inches from the door leading to the utility tunnel. Their wounds varied from bite marks, to scratches, to bullet wounds. James's fists clinched, swallowing hard as his eyes were set ablaze in rage. Lucy felt like she was going to be sick at this sight. These were people that were alive just hours before, and now here they were. Sliding the key card across the scanner, sealing the door shut before them. _

"_What are we going to do?" Lucy asked, realising James wasn't about to let these people die in vain. _

"_You're going to take this shotgun, walk out the front door, and wait for me outside." James said slowly and angrily, as he handed Lucy the shotgun. _

"_What are you going to do?" Lucy rephrased, stepping closer to James who now refused to make eye contact with her. _

"_End this." James stated, his voice carrying a hatred Lucy had never heard before. _

"_James don't be a fucking hero. Let's just get out of here!" Lucy barked, not wanting him to die after they had come so far. _

"_Lucy…We both know I won't leave even if I tell you I will." James admitted, a sad smile barely crossing his face. _

"_I have to finish this." He stated, the smile vanishing from his face in a micro second._

"_By giving me the only loaded gun we have?!"Lucy pointed out, her passionate fury showing her true concern. _

"_Can you kill a ghoul without a gun?" James asked, rolling his eyes and shoving the gun into her arms. _

"_No…" Lucy admitted, sounding like she felt guilty about this fact._

"_Can you?" she asked, reflecting the question onto him._

"_I think what happened up in the room, proves I can." James reminded her, annoyed at her reluctance to listen to him._

"_Now take the gun, get out of this building, and wait for me there." James said slowly and aggressively, showing that he was not in the mood for further objection. _

_Don't worry about me Lucy. Just go." James said, turning from her and walking back towards the Lobby. _

_Knowing she couldn't stop him no matter how much she wanted, Lucy did as she was told. She waited for what seemed like hours outside of the building. Her nerves were in pieces as her mind went through all the different worst case scenarios. This was especially the case after she had heard what sounded like an explosion from one of the above floors. She had been biting her nails down to nothing since she began waiting outside, and now there was nothing left to bite. Suddenly, one of the two entrance doors creaked open slowly. Lifting the gun up, Lucy was prepared to kill whatever stepped out of there. She prayed it was James that was behind that door. To her horror however, it was not James. The face that opened the door was that of a ghoul, whose face was stitched up like some kind of grotesque holo-movie monster. Lucy quickly pulled the trigger, fuelled by vengeance for her possibly dead boyfriend. The ghoul ducked behind the door, narrowly avoiding the gun shot._

"_WHAT THE FUCK, LUCY?!" The familiar voice shouted in outrage at the frightened girl. _

"_James?" Lucy said in confusion, recognising his voice._

"_You fucking shot at me!" James snapped, clearly in shock over almost being shot._

"_What happened to your face?" Lucy asked, wondering what the hell happened in there. _

"_YOU FUCKING SHOT AT ME!" James roared, as he charged out of the building._

"_I didn't know it was you!" Lucy shouted, explaining her mistake to James. _

"_Oh I'm sorry. Here I was thinking you would be happy to see me, and then you try to kill me instead!" James shouted, not picking up on the irony of the reason they were here in the first place. _

"_Stop being such an asshole! What's happened to your face?" Lucy asked, trying to change the subject._

"_You mean this mask!" James asked, ripping the mask off his face._

"_It's a mask?" Lucy said in shock at the flesh like mask in his hand._

"_Yeah, I made it so I could sneak around the upper floors and not get killed by ghouls. But apparently it doesn't work on my girlfriend who just tried to fucking make my face look like this guys!" James explained, pulling the mask up beside his face to emphasis what could have been. _

"_So…what happened?" Lucy asked, still trying to change the subject from almost shooting him._

"_What…what kind of question is that? You know what happened!" James pointed out._

"_YOU SHOT AT ME!" James shouted in anger, raising his arms into the air. _

"_You were wearing a mask!" Lucy stated, now getting as angry as he was._

"_Don't you dare make me the bad guy here!" James warned, pointing a finger at her. _

"_Oh so I guess I am the bad guy then!?"Lucy responded, slapping the pointed finger aside. _

"_Um…DAH!"James agreed, dropping the mask as he spoke._

"_I am so pissed at you right now!" James exclaimed._

"_Oh I am so not taking this from you!" Lucy barked, ready to slap him across the face. _

"_Oh boo hoo, my boyfriend saved my life after giving me perhaps the most romantic night of my life. Someone tart a church in my name!" James mocked, rubbing his eyes like he were crying as he spoke. _

"_OH WE ARE SO OVER WHEN WE GET BACK TO MEGATON!" Lucy shouted in anger and embarrassment at his actions. _

"_Oh yeah?!" James asked._

"_YEAH!" Lucy shouted, as James grabbed her arm. _

_James pulled Lucy towards him and kissed her softly. Lucy's eyes closed slowly, as she sank into the warm embrace of her lover. Both wrapped in the other's arms, as they embraced outside the former monolith of social upper-class. Lucy's arms were linked around James's neck, while his were wrapped around her back. Lucy's heartbeat raced, as she pressed her lips to his. Words could not describe how happy she was to see he was safe, and that they were together again. He had kept his promise to her, and made sure they got out alive. Her fingers ran through his hair, and gripped it as he kissed her. She felt like she would cry in this moment, just out of the pure happiness she felt. James slowly pulled his lips away from hers, causing Lucy to re-open her eyes and look at him. There he was, stubble, scars, and all looking back at her. He then rested his forehead against hers, and ran his hand over her face. She hated that he could make her feel so helpless, and yet so safe at the same time. She wanted to beat the crap out of him for worrying her, but never wanted to leave his side either. _

"_Sooo…" She said, breathing quickly into his chest. _

"_Don't ruin it, Lucy." James said, running his hand through her hair._

"_Okay…I won't." Lucy smiled, accepting his objection to speak about it. _

"_Good…just shut up and let's go home." James joked, as he released her from his grip._

"_Want to come over to my place tonight?" Lucy asked, smiling as they walked out the front gates._

"_I thought we just broke up." James stated, as he raised his hand to his chest. As if he was cradling something in his arm._

"_Yeah, but I am inviting you over as a friend." Lucy explained, smiling as she walked with him._

"_Will there be booze?" James asked, feeling like he needed a strong harsh drink right now._

"_Of course." Lucy verified._

"_Is it a sleepover?" James questioned, asking the thing he really wanted to know._

"_Yup." Lucy smiled, a hint of red in her cheeks. _

"_Well okay. Just no pillow fights, I think I broke a rib in there." James stated, revealing why he was holding his chest. _

"_No promises." Lucy teased, walking towards the town with him._

* * *

"So, what was the explosion?" Susie asked, feeling like she wasn't getting the full story.

"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me." Lucy admitted, looking at Susie with a smile.

"You two sound like you were great together. What happened?" Butch asked, before getting kicked in the shin by Susie.

"Ouch!" He cried out, glaring at Susie as he rubbed his shin.

"Butch…" Susie whispered, giving a look that said shut the fuck up.

"No its okay." Lucy stated, smiling sadly at the two.

"See Butch, they weren't all good times. But they weren't all bad times either. In the end, James and I…just kind of ended. I didn't want him to go out into the wastes one day, and then never come back. And…well…it's easier to kill a brotherhood of steel paladin with a spoon, then it was to keep James from trying to save the world." Lucy admitted, smiling to herself and looking down at her lap.

"So, is that why James stayed behind?" Susie asked, curious now as to why James wouldn't just leave with Lucy. He didn't sound like he even liked the place.

"Honestly? I think he blamed himself, for what happened to them. Like it would have never happened, if he didn't get involved." Lucy explained her theory.

"Lunch is served." Wadsworth announced.

* * *

"And then what happened?" Nova asked, taking a deep drag of a cigarette as she looked at Susie.

"We ate, and she left. Then Wadsworth and Butch argued. It kind of felt like I was at home in the vault again." Susie explained, staring off into the distance of the night.

"Any word from the man himself?" Nova asked, enquiring about the whereabouts of James.

"Nope…" Susie answered, a worried tone in her voice.

Susie was sitting at the same table she had been her first night in Megaton, talking to the same woman and the first friend she made here. Nova was on break, and was enjoying a cigarette when Susie arrived to tell her about her day. Nova would admit, she did like the naivety of the girl. It was kind of cute. Susie smiled, as she saw a shooting star rip across the sky. She made a wish, as all those hollo-movies stated was customary to do upon seeing one. Then, turning to Nova, Susie asked the question that had been bothering her for a while.

"Actually, could you tell me something?" Susie asked, not wanting to sound rude to her friend.

"Anything, sweetie." Nova smiled, flicking her burnt out cigarette away.

"When James came back, the first time, almost none saw him for a month, right?" Susie asked, looking at Nova with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Yeah, what about it?" Nova asked.

"Well…why did he lock himself away?" Susie asked, hoping she would not have to ask the likes of Jericho for this information.

"The only people who know that, are him and…" Nova started, causing Susie to gulp in fear at the thought that Jericho was the next person.

"Wadsworth." Nova smiled.

* * *

_**A/N2: Finally in the Next chapter we will find out why James Locked himself away. About time. So confession time. I am burnt out. I have worked really hard on this chapter, as I didnt want to dedicate more than two pages to the Tenpenny story. So that is why this chapter is so long. This was a very hard chapter to edit, re-read and finish, so right now, I dont have a great opinion on it. But hey, I finished it, so that accounts for next chapter will probably be much shorter than this one. Now rather than mark all the points I want to make about this chapter, I will state the more important stuff. **_

_**1\. Nuka Grenades were always my fave explosive, so using them in this story was fun. Also explaining them. **_

_**2\. The Broken Handcuff bit is my tribute to Fight Club in which Tyler answers the door naked wearing a rubber glove. **_

_**3\. Tenpenny Towers has about 10 floors, as I counted them in game. Now I could be wrong still, but I am keeping it at a nice ten. **_

_**4\. The fire Hose scene is not to be tried out in real life. I wrote that in, because frankly I thought the image of it was really cool.**_

_**5\. Herberts monologue about the tower is something I am truly proud of. So no complaining about it. **_

_**6\. As with all my works, each weapons in game ammo capacity is taken into consideration when I write these chapters. **_

_**7\. I will be using a lot of Lucys account for the Tenpenny Towers story I will be doing in the Future, as well as James's. So consider this a spoiler/preview for whats to come. The story will not be long, but will tie up the loose ends in Lucys story. **_

_**8\. James has not come home yet for a reason, but if you read each chapter carefully, I have left hints as to where he is and what hes doing. **_

_**9\. Important: My stories are labelled teen because they do not have excessive gore, graphic sex scenes, or hardcore torture. I am basing all my writing on that of movies pg-15 certificate. So I swear a lot in my stories, yes. But that is more to do with the characters of the wasteland. I cant write Jericho and not have him swear. I would suggest if you wish to complain about swearing, or violence, or whatever. Write your own fic where your characters dont swear, have tea parties, and discuss flower arrangement.**_

_**10\. You will, no doubt, notice by now that each person is telling a story with a different version of James in it. These are how I perceive the characters interpret James as a person, or how he was during the time of the story. So just because one person labels him a hero or a childish vigilante, does not mean that this is him now, or ever really was him. **_

_**11\. Wadsworth being the only other person that knows why James voluntarily isolated himself should not come as a major twist. I mean who else would have access to the house but him and James?**_

_**12\. This chapter is over 9000! words. I cant fathom how I managed to keep going with my writing, but somehow I did it. Yay.**_

_**13\. I love you guys for your support and do enjoy reading the reviews and PM's you send me. If it were not for these I would have not been able to finish this chapter. Remember to R&amp;R**_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: *Warning* The following chapter has a pregnant woman being shot and killed. This death happens off screen, and there is no gore. However the death still happens. This is by far the closest to the edge I can get, without turning this into a Mature rating. My usual summary of the story will remain at the bottom. If you wish to skip any scene that would make you uncomfortable, I suggest moving down past the bold black writing. You have been warned. Remember to R&amp;R. **

* * *

Susie walked back to the house cautiously. She still knew little about the town of Megaton, and considering she had just drank a few beers with Nova and was feeling tipsy, she didn't want to run into any trouble. Walking up the walkway that lead towards James's house, she noticed a figure with his legs up on the railing and a bottle of whiskey in his hand. Susie halted in her tracks, as she recognised the man almost instantly. And turning to her, he recognised her.

"Hey Vaultie." Jericho greeted, motioning for Susie to come closer.

"Um…hi Jericho." Susie greeted, wary of Jericho's more welcoming demeanour.

"Hear your asking around about the kid…" Jericho stated, taking a large gulp from his whiskey bottle.

"Um…Yeah." Susie answered, looking at him with a mix of fear and caution.

"Tell ya's what. I gotz a story for ya!" Jericho said, causing chills to run up Susie's spine. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear a story about James from Jericho.

"Jericho…I don't know." Susie objected.

"Yous want the real fucken stories?" Jericho asked, showing some aggression at her objection.

"I guess." Susie confessed, bringing a dirty smile to Jericho's face.

"Then shut up and listen. Because this is what the kid is really like!" He ordered, as he leaned back in his seat and began his story.

* * *

_There they were, standing around the corpses of dead raiders. Some of which were unarmed, others of which armed to the teeth. They had dropped by on their way to search for some old Vault in a garage somewhere. Using a rather large distraction to thin out the herd of raiders in front of the complex, they entered in guns blazed. Killing everyone that raised a weapon to them. James had to re-attach his arm, after it had been detached by Jericho and used as a distraction. James found himself watching the raider's captives, as they walked cautiously out their cells. Jericho was looking over a shotgun he had found on one of the raiders corpses, one that only fired when they safety was on. He smiled, as he poured whiskey into a dirty glass and downed it in one gulp. He poured another glass, before belching a loud and vulgar burp. _

"_You'd swear that a fucken army ah raiders would put up more of a fight?" Jericho stated, loading his new toy slowly._

"_You sound disappointed." James added, as the slaves seemed to remind him of something. A darker part of himself, he was trying to bury. _

"_Fuck na. I find it hysterical at how much of pansies they were." Jericho explained, chuckling to himself _

_Jericho downed another disgustingly dirty glass of whiskey, as an impregnated woman approached the two. James wasn't a doctor, but he could see that she wasn't too far from giving birth. Her body was scantily dressed, with bruises covering most of her body. The fact her baby survived so long in a raider base, was something short of a miracle to James. _

"_So…are you guys going to take us all home?" She asked, as James stood looking at her with great disbelief. _

_This questions sent chills down James's spine. He was so close to finding his father, after so much time chasing leads and running around the wasteland to find his father. After they were reunited, they would go back to Vault 101, clear up the misunderstanding, and be a happy family again. This belief kept James's hope for finding his father alive. And now, here he stood, on the edge of his journeys end, only to be asked to run around the wasteland returning these people to their homes. He was speechless. Had he not done enough by saving them? Had he not suffered the harsh reality of the DC Wasteland enough, to have it end sooner rather than later?_

"_Fuck yourself." Jericho answered her, another glass of whiskey in his hand. _

"_What?" She asked, shock on her face. _

"_We don't have to do a damn thing for any of ya! Hell, we could have just left ya in this place to rot, for all I care." Jericho explained, being as brutally honest as he saw fit. _

"_But we could die!" she argued._

"_Oh boo-fucken-hoo. Me and the kid could have died coming here, but we didn't." Jericho stated, finding a mix of being honest and a complete and utter asshole. _

"_You have guns, we don't!" She replied, tears forming in her eyes. _

"_Look around, honey. There's a fucken collection of weapons and gear on these limp dicked fuckers bodies. Take it. And then fucken leave." Jericho ordered, drinking down the glass of whiskey._

"_No…you freed us. We are your responsibility." She stated, anger at how the man was not taking her seriously. _

"_I don't want to have to say this shit again. Fuck off." Jericho laughed, and turning away from the woman. _

_Whether it was out of fear or anger, the pregnant woman grabbed a fork from one of the tables and lunged at Jericho. Realising he was in danger, Jericho raised his arms to defend his head and neck. The fork was buried deep into his neck, though did not hit deep enough to kill him. James stood in shock, unsure of what to do. Did he defend his friend, and kill a pregnant woman? Or did he just let his friend be attacked. Pushing her away and removing the fork from his neck, Jericho's eyes glared at her. _

"_YOU FUCKEN BITCH!" Jericho shouted, as he pulled aimed his shotgun at the unarmed woman. _

"_No...Please don't." She begged, raising her hands in fear._

"_Jericho…" James spoke softly, watching Jericho as he started walking towards her. _

"_Please…don't kill me." She pleaded, as Jericho cocked the shotgun. _

"_JERICHO!" James barked, but his words were silenced by the thunderous blast of the shotgun. _

_The shotgun blast echoed heavily against the ears of those in the cave. Paralyzed faces of shock, disgust, and fear, were worn by the other captives. James looked in shock at the woman's dead body. _

"_She was pregnant and you killed her." James said calmly, before turning around and grabbing Jericho by the throat._

"_SHE WAS PREGNANT! AND YOU FUCKEN KILLED HER LIKE AN ANIMAL!" James shouted, anger and hatred in his voice._

"_That's right…" Jericho started wheezing heavily, pushing James away from him._

"_Ya know what, that's right! But ya know what else? You watched me do it! So don't start that whole high and mighty shit with me!" Jericho responded slowly and maliciously._

"_Ya coulda blocked the shot, stopped me from firing, or stopped her from stabbing me, but ya didn't." Jericho explained, pressing his hand on the stab wound in his neck. _

"_Ya know what that tells me? You don't give a shit about people anymore." Jericho stated, his face growing darker and darker. _

"…" _James remained speechless, hoping Jericho was lying. _

"_Nothing to say to that mister saint? So let me ask you something. Whose gonna save us from YOU when you become no better than these assholes?" Jericho asked, causing a knot in James's stomach. One that continuously got tighter and tighter, with every word Jericho spoke. _

"_What then?" Jericho asked, glaring into the fearful eyes of James. _

"_I'll tell ya what then. Then we are all fucked!" Jericho answered, causing James to take a step back in fear. _

"_That's not gonna happen." James answered defiantly, more fear in his voice than anger. _

"_Sure it ain't." Jericho said, pushing past James. _

"_Now, I'm getting a fucken Stim pack, then we're going to find your dad, so you two can go fuck off back to ya little vault!" Jericho barked, walking away from the now motionless James._

* * *

Susie stood in awe at this tale. Could she truly trust Jericho's word, or was it that she didn't want to believe James would stand by and let that happen. However, there was one thing she was certain of.

"Jericho?" she started, fear and inebriation in her tone.

"Wha?" Jericho grunted, clearly not wanting to continuous this conversation.

"Your afraid of James…aren't you?" She asked, feeling a tad more confident in her tone.

Jericho sprang from his chair, and grabbing Susie rammed her into the wall of his house. She had struck a nerve with this question. Jericho had said that if James had ever lost it, none would be able to stop him. Susie wondered, if Jericho had included himself in that denomination.

"You listen up, you little frigged vaultie bitch! I've survived 67 years in this wasteland. I have seen shit that would make ya piss yourself. Shit that tears you and your boyfriend 'Bitch' to shreds for fun." Jericho barked, pushing his forearm against her neck, choking her in the process.

"And you, have the balls, to ask me if I'm scared of James? I oughta fucken gut ya here and now. Or…maybe have some fun with ya first, then slice ya a new hole to talk out of!" Jericho threatened, smiling as his hand ran up her thigh perversely.

"What ya say to that?" Jericho asked, as he glared at her with a grin.

"What would James do when he found out?" Susie struggled, gasping for air and disgusted at his touch. Jericho's face dropped.

"Ballsy little bitch, ain't ya?" Jericho grunted, releasing Susie from his grip.

"Forget everything I told ya just now. Or else nothing will fucken stop me from coming after ya. Not Simms. Not the Mutt. And not even the kid." Jericho threatened, sitting back down in his chair.

"Understand?" He asked looking out into the night.

"Yeah…I do." Susie said, moving back to the house.

* * *

_**Susie awoke from a thud against her door, followed by some mild cursing. She saw the shadowy figure search for a light switch, as she sat motionless on her bed. Susie watching in fear, as the shadow danced around the room. Who was it? And why were there coming into her room? She prayed it wasn't Jericho. The lights switched on, as the intruder discovered the switch. He slumped down to the floor, clutching his gut wound. **_

_"**James?" Susie asked, before the severity of the situation seeped in. **_

_"**You're hurt!" She stated, rushing over to him. **_

_"**No shit…hand me one of those stim packs will you?" James said, holding his gut. **_

_**Susie darted over to the table, grabbing four stim packs and running back to him. Taking one, he stabbed it into his wound and grunted. He scowled as the wound closed, and the flesh began to heal around it. It clearly wasn't a very comfortable feeling, being healed by one of those things. But it was a necessary pain Susie guessed, to keep from bleeding out. He let out a sigh, as the pain subsided. Then, looked up at her with a look that made her legs weak. It was one of gratitude and affection. Of trust and admiration. One she had never anticipated receiving from James of all people. **_

_"**Thanks…I was almost a goner." James smiled, as he got to his feet. **_

_"**Well…you know it was…nothing." Susie blushed, as James thanked her.**_

_"**No it wasn't nothing Susie. You saved my life." James smiled, as his hand ran down her shoulder. **_

_**He kissed her. She loved every second of the feeling of his hands caressing her body, his lips against hers. They bodies, connected only through each other's lips. Susie felt his hands move over her body. She felt a knot on her stomach form. She wasn't ready for this, and had to stop it. **_

_"**James…no." She said, blushing to herself and looking away from James. **_

_"**Shut the hell up!" James barked, now more aggressive than before. **_

**Pushing her down on the bed, James's face now held an evil menacing grin. His body seemed to have more scars now, than it had the last time she saw it. Some were still fresh and bleeding. James's strong arms now held Susie down, as his tongue licked her neck. Susie tried to fight it, but she hadn't the strength to stop him. And soon, she found something threatening to puncture her stomach. A knife was readying to stab her, should she move against her aggressors will. She screamed in horror, but soon her mouth was covered by his hand. His eyes were yellow, and full of menace as the glared over her body. With all her strength, she let out a scream.**

* * *

"NOO!" Susie shouted as she sprang up from the bed, looking around for her assaulter.

None was in the room with her. It was a nightmare. About James. Was that really what she thought of him? A monster? Or maybe it was something else. Maybe she was worried about what finding out all this stuff about him would lead to.

"It was such a good dream, up until the end." She said to herself before the door swung wide open and Wadsworth charged through.

"Miss Susie! Are you in danger?!" Wadsworth asked, searching the room for enemies.

"No...No Wadsworth, I'm not." Susie said, looking at the maintenance bot.

"You seem distressed." Wadsworth analysed, sounding more at ease now.

"I'm okay Wadsworth." Susie reassured, feeling a little silly for overreacting to a dream.

"I don't believe so." Wadsworth argued, hovering closer to Susie.

"Is it possible…you have…womanly issues?" Wadsworth asked, faint signs of awkwardness in his tone.

"What?" Susie asked, shocked at such a question.

"Womanly issues. You know…" Wadsworth began.

"NO! Wadsworth. It's not that." Susie interrupted, not wanting a talk like this right here.

"Thank Heavens." Wadsworth said in relief, as he began his attempt leave the room.

"Hey Wadsworth…can I ask you something?" Susie asked, halting the maintenance bot in his tracks.

"Of course." Wadsworth said, as he turned around to face her.

"Back when James came back from the Pitt, I heard he wasn't seen for a month. That he locked himself away in this house. The only person that would know why, is you. So I was wondering if you could tell me what happened." Susie asked, feeling a little nervous about the question itself.

"Of course." Wadsworth stated, as he began the story.

* * *

_James lay on the ground, a puddle of vomit under his left cheek. Awake, but motionless. Naked, except for the underwear he wore. He hadn't moved, since he woke up. His mind just wandered, remembering everything that he had done, and what was done to him. His dreams were plagued with nightmares of his past. He could still feel the nails being driven into his fingers, and his skin being ripped open by the whips. He used to use jet, or psycho to forget the memories, but that wasn't an option anymore. It couldn't be an option anymore._

"_Master…will you be leaving the house today?" The maintenance bot asked, concerned for his master. _

"…_.."James remained silent, as he stared into the abyss, waiting for it to blink. _

"_I think it would be for the best. After all it has been a month." Wadsworth continued, trying to talk his master into leaving the house. _

"_If I go out now, I'll just buy Jet or psycho." James said, feeling his veins itch for the needle. Wanting it. Needing it. _

"_I doubt that, sir. You give yourself far too little credit. You are much stronger than you think." Wadsworth said, hovering around James. _

"_I'm not!" James snapped, feeling like his body was trying to rip itself apart. _

"_I disagree." Wadsworth disagreed, his tone sounding more condescending now. _

"_Well your wrong!" James barked, feeling like he was about to rip the butler piece from piece. _

"_I would assume you have proof of my misconception?" Wadsworth asked, as James sat up and glared at him. _

"_You want proof? I'll give you proof!" James barked, grabbing his gun and putting it to the side of his head. _

_Pulling the trigger, James found the gun did not have a clip and therefore no ammo. Wadsworth had sold the ammo clips, in order to provide food and water for his master. Which was a waste of money, as James had given up eating and drinking it seemed. However, the fact that the barrel was empty did not stop James from repeatedly trying to fire the weapon into his skull. _

"_Sir. I believe the gun is empty." Wadsworth pointed out, as if James was unaware of the face his skull was not full of lead. _

"_I wasn't always like this. I only wanted to find dad. I was a good person." James sobbed, his tone becoming weaker and weaker as tears flooded his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. _

"_Sir, you still are a good person." Wadsworth stated, trying to cheer up James. _

"_NO I'M NOT!" James snapped, aggression now replacing his self-pity. _

"_None could be…not after what they did to me. Whipped me for days, drove nails into my fingers, and then laughed! After they were done laughing, they would stick me with a stim pack, so the bones and wounds would heal, and do it all over again. Because that was what I was to them. That's what this whole fucking existence is. A cruel, sick, perverse, joke." James said, looking down at his hands as tears sprinkled his old wounds. _

"_Sir, your life is not a joke." Wadsworth stated, his master raising his head to look at his butler. _

"_Care to know what the real joke is, sir?" The maintenance bot asked, holding his masters attention. _

"…_.." James remained in silence, not acknowledging interest or dismissing the offer of information. _

"_Two cannibals are eating a clown, when one turns to the other and says 'Does this taste funny to you?" Wadsworth said._

_James looked in silence at Wadsworth for a moment, before for the first time in over a month, James cracked a smile. And then he began to laugh. He laughed so hard, his face went red. Was it that the joke was so funny, or the fact that Wadsworth had struck a chord with his master? _

"_Good one Wadsworth." James said, a smile on his face._

"_Thank you master." Wadsworth thanked, a more cheery tone in his voice. _

"_I guess…I should take a shower huh?" James said, standing up weakly. _

"_I would applaud that decision sir, however the shower is not working." Wadsworth explained, as James's weak, sickly, scarred body struggling to stay up straight. _

"_Why?" James asked, raising an eyebrow to Wadsworth. _

"_The town's water pipeline seems to have sprung a leak, and none seems to be free to fix it." Wadsworth answered. _

"_Seriously? Of all the people in this town? None can get around to fixing a few leaks?" James asked, looking angered and disappointed. _

"_It appears so sir." Wadsworth stated, as James began to get changed. _

"_Do we have any tools?" James asked, looking at Wadsworth. _

"_I believe we have a wrench, some duct tape, and a pack of bubble-gum." Wadsworth stated, announcing the inventory of their supplies. _

"_Oh sweet, gum!" James announced grabbing the gum, and pushing it into his mouth. A now more cheerful James present. _

"_What is sir planning?" Wadsworth asked, curious as to his master's next move. _

"_Well…I want a shower, so I am going to fix the damn pipe." James explained, picking up the tools and walking towards the door. Stopping before it, he turned to face Wadsworth._

"_Thanks for cheering me up Wadsworth." James said, a sad smile on his face. _

"_Tis My pleasure sir." Wadsworth said, cheerful tone present._

* * *

"And sure enough, with nothing but gum, a wrench and some duct tape, the master managed to fix the pipeline." Wadsworth explained, finishing the story.

"But...that's not what I asked you?" Susie asked, confused as to how this was relevant to her question.

"Miss Susie. I suggest you look between the lines. The Master had become addicted to several forms of narcotics, and wanted to lose said dependency on them. So he locked himself away for a month. Away from the chems he desired most." Wadsworth explained, as Susie realised that James was once an addict.

"Oh…" Susie said silently, as if the robot would judge her. Wadsworth could tell she needed more information.

"Miss Susie…I swear that what I say now, will only be said once. As I shall erase this part of the conversation from my memory banks. I hope you will have the good manners to keep it that way, and pay attention." Wadsworth explained, his tone now much more serious.

"Okay." Susie answered, raising an eyebrow to the maintenance bot.

"Master James is one of the few masters I have had, that I respect greatly. He has committed more than his fair share of sins, this is true. And the company he keeps, can be much less than desired. His actions aside, I have never met someone as fragile, or as strong as him. That was, until I met you." Wadsworth stated, causing Susie to blush and smile at him.

"Why do you need to erase that Wadsworth? It's really sweet." Susie stated, as the maintenance bot hovered before her.

"Because, I hope you will never become like Master James. That you never go through what he has, and forever seek out penance by putting his life on the line for others. I do not want to fail you, like I did him. Because you see Miss Susie, I too have committed a sin. I never stopped him. It is the greatest gift I have given some, but perhaps, at the cost of the man's very soul. And that is my cross to bear alone." Wadsworth admitted, showing such compassion for his master.

"Now…please get some rest." Wadsworth requested, as he floated out of the room.

Smiling, Susie dropped her head to the mattress and closed her eyes. Returning to her, hopefully, sweet dreams.

* * *

**A/N: A lot of dark in this chapter, I know. But we have an answer now as to why James isolated himself for a month, drugs. So heres the whys of this chapter.**

**1\. The Drug habit has always been a part of the story. Why? From what we know of James's time in the Pitt, we know he was tortured and changed greatly from what he was into what he is now. How do you sleep or even get through an experience like that? Drugs. I mean, look at what he says they did to him in this story. James has been through some heavy horrible shit. **

**2\. Hardest part of this story was writing the story Jericho told. Clearly, I couldnt make the story PG or even on par with the other stories told so far. So I went with something I thought would not only shock the reader (you), but also frighten them a little. Why? Because Jericho is an asshole, and a former raider. I try to stay as true to the characters in the game as possible, as well as add to them and make them more human. That being said, Jericho cannot be friendly. He cannot not swear. He has to be vulgar. And yes, he has to make those kind of threats. Unfortunately, the Capital wasteland is not a safe place and people die in it. So yes, this story had to be done. Be glad. Were it not for my self restraint, you would have a much darker story being told. The story is a modified version of The Comedian scene from Watchmen. **

**3\. James is not some super human, mega man. He is just damaged, and has a lot of luck. James has lost a lot, but has learned a lot about survival. And that is why, people either respect him or fear him. Or in some cases both. **

**4\. The Nightmare scene, if you didnt get it, has a lot of subtle hints at Susie's fears of James, but also a lot of her desire. She is no longer bond to be like everyone else, like she was in the vault, and in fact can be her own person and love whoever she wants to love. However, hearing stories about James isnt making it any easier to come to terms with her feelings and herself. **

**5\. Wadsworth has been James's butler for a long time, and thus has developed a bond with him. My original intention was to make him nothing more than a servant master relationship, but as I wrote, I found myself making a more Batman/Alfred relationship. Which I think is much better. In a way, isnt Wadsworth the Alfred to the Lone Wanderers Batman?**

**6\. James has attempted suicide a few times. So far in my canon it is as follows, **

**\- After the Pitt (Both the day after he left and the time mentioned above)**

**\- After his exile from the vault**

**James is mentally scarred, as well as physically. He has lost a lot, and has very little gained. So he has tried it. But failed, thankfully. **

**7\. The pipeline was an important factor to play in with the town of megaton. There is also an inside joke there between me and a friend, factoring in the amount of people who live in megaton versus how many of them tried to fix the pipe. **

**8\. The clown cannibal joke was the first joke wadsworth ever told me when I played fallout 3, and I rather enjoyed it. **

**To sum up. This chapter has been a long time coming. Both Literally and figuratively. I apologise for the wait, but thanks to university, and Fallout 4, I have been behind on my writings. Add to the fact that this chapter itself was pushing the rating system as it is, I was not sure if I had gone too far. Remember to R&amp;R, and I will see you guys later. Love you all. Also if I dont get a new chapter out before it. Merry christmas. **


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: This is so late thanks to outside sources, the most important being my old computer broke down and my college work. There is a bigger Authors Note at the end. Hope you guys enjoy this. **_

* * *

Susie sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Letting out a yawn, as she looked around the room. She stood up from the mattress, and began getting dressed for another day in what was now her life. She hoped to hear something back from him today, just so she could know he was safe. It wasn't just about her feelings anymore, but her well being. After last night's confrontation with Jericho, she was positive she had made it onto his list of enemies. If not, she was damn close. The only other friends she had, was Nova and Butch. Both of which, did not look like they would last long in a fight. But they were good listeners and friends. Today was going to be different, she could feel it. But first of all, she would shower and have something to eat. Preferably something that she knew was edible.

Upon her descent down the stairs, Susie saw a figure being handed his breakfast that filled her with excitement. On the ground, on all fours was the dog James had grown very close to named Dogmeat. The same dog that had ventured out into the Wasteland with him days prior. Smiling Susie approached the dog, who greeted her with a soft growl. Susie backed away from him, afraid of getting bitten by the animal, when Wadsworth nudged her.

"I believe, he thinks your trying to take his breakfast." Wadsworth explained, as Dogmeat returned to his food.

"Oh…here I thought he hated me." Susie said, a nervous smile on her face.

"He is just hungry Miss Susie." Wadsworth stated.

"So…where's James?" Susie asked, eager to see him alive and well.

"….." Wadsworth remained silent.

"What?" Susie asked, not enjoying the silence.

"The master…did not return with the canine, Miss Susie." Wadsworth stated, a hint of hesitation in his tone.

Susie's stomach twisted in fear at that sentence. Did this mean James was dead? Or wounded somewhere, crying for help, while they sat here and ate breakfast? She didn't know.

"But don't worry. It wouldn't be the first time the master sent his dog home first." Wadsworth said reassuringly.

"What do you mean?" Susie asked.

"The master often leaves for long periods of times, most often coming home with a mountain of laundry and tracking mud or blood or substance's I don't even want to consider on my lovely clean floor." Wadsworth explained.

"Really?" Susie asked, feeling a little bit better now.

"I recall on occasion where he said he was going to buy some ammo and six bottles of water from Lady Moira, and promised he would be five minutes. If my memory core is correct, I did not see him for at least a week and when he came back he had a black eye, stank of animal excrement and still had not bought water." Wadsworth stated, a robotic chuckle coming from his speakers.

"So…you're saying I shouldn't worry?" Susie asked.

"I am saying, Miss Susie, that you should eat something and try not to concentrate on the negative." Wadsworth corrected.

"Thanks Wadsworth." Susie thanked, smiling at him.

"Of course Miss. Now what would you like for breakfast?" Wadsworth asked, turning around to face the kitchen.

"Anything without meat." Susie smiled, sitting down at the table.

"Coming right up." He responded cheerily, and began preparation.

To Susie's surprise, Wadsworth arrived over moments later with a bowel containing what appeared to be a salad. Sure the greens weren't as green, as the ones in the Vault, but despite this it looked very edible. She was still a tad cautious about putting it into her mouth, but regardless didn't want to seem rude. To her shock, it was delicious. She hadn't always been a big fan of salads, but her mother always made them to avoid her little girl "getting fat". It wasn't till now that she realised she hadn't even told her mother where she was going, nor did she care about the distress this might have caused the woman. She still had so many questions, one in particular had just come to mind.

"Wadsworth?" She asked, looking towards the robot butler.

"Yes miss?" He responded, almost immediately.

"Do you know how James's father reacted, when they finally found each other?" She asked, wondering if this was the time for this kind of question. Dogmeat's head rose from his bowl, and looked at Susie.

"No. However, the only interaction I witnessed between the two was when the Master and his father arrived home it was late and they appear to have been fighting. I know this, because the next day the Master's father apologised to him and they hugged for 2 thirds of a minute." Wadsworth admitted in his monotone robotic voice.

"Any idea what it was about?" Susie asked, knowing she was prying into business that she had no right to be a part of.

"Not a one, Miss. I can tell you they were at the bar beforehand. Perhaps the bartender could provide more information." Wadsworth stated, as Dogmeat returned to his meal.

"When does the bar open?" Susie asked, her interest peaking at the idea of a falling out between the two family members who shared the same name.

"It is opened now, I believe." Wadsworth stated much to Susie's disbelief.

Susie was shocked to see that Wadsworth had been correct, the bar was in fact open this early. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door and walked into the bar. The smell of beer, piss, and sweat certainly was stronger this time around. The only comfort she had was that Nova was in there, smiling at Susie as she entered the bar. She still had no idea what Nova did at the bar, but that wasn't the information she needed right now. Stepping up to the bar, she took another deep breath and waited for the Ghoul to finish with another costumer. She sat down on the soft bar stool and waited for the ghoul to finish his work. Noticing her, he walked over to her, throwing his dishrag over his shoulder.

"What can I get ya sweetie?" He asked, Susie's face a picture of reluctance to ask the question.

"Um…can I get a cola?" she asked, shyly trying to avoid the ghouls gaze.

"Coming up." Gob said, reaching behind the bar in search for a Nuka cola.

It was at this moment, Susie felt two arms wrap around her waist. The strong smell of cigarettes, was a dead give away for who was now behind her.

"Hey honey." Nova said, resting her chin on Susie's shoulder.

"What brings ya here?" Nova asked, letting go of Susie now and began leaning against the bar top.

"I actually wanted to talk to him." She said, looking towards Gob as her Nuka Cola arrived.

"What about?" Nova asked, as Gob remained silent.

"Well, Wadsworth told me that the night James and his dad came here they got into a fight. I was kind of hoping you remembered what it was about?" Susie asked, looking down at the Nuka Cola. Still frightened of the ghoul barman's appearance.

"I don't think anyone who works here forgets that night." Gob stated, growling a little as he rolled his eyes at the question.

"Why?" Susie asked, looking at both Nova and Gob now.

"Oh yeah, that was the night James sang that song wasn't it?" Nova recalled.

"James can sing?" Susie said in shock.

"Yeah, he got up with a guitar and started playing it. Called it his last goodbye to the people of Megaton. He was actually pretty good." Nova explained, smiling at Susie as she did so.

Susie was surprised. She didn't think James could sing or play the guitar. She wondered if he had picked it up out in the wastes, or was it something he always could do. The more she learned about him, the more she realised that she had fallen for someone who she knew nothing about. Having ignored him during their school days, and then just kissing him out of the blue because she was feeling brave, didn't make it right. The more she learned, the worse she felt for never giving him a chance. Never trying to get to know him, or talk to him, until a few days ago. And now, for all she knew he was out there in the wasteland, dying. This thought made her chest tighten, and her breath quicken. She had not had a panic attack in years, and didn't want to have one now.

"Can you tell me that story?" Susie asked.

"No. I am busy. And if Moriarty finds me talking instead of working, it will be hell to be pay." Gob explained, sounding colder than he intended to.

"Come on Gob, honey. Please tell her." Nova said, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"Look, I'll tell ya what. I'll tell you the story, but you have to buy something. You can't live on James's tab." God said, proving Nova's trick worked on him.

"Why?" Susie asked, knowing she couldn't pay for anything.

"Because I have to look like I'm counting something." Gob explained.

"I'll cover her." Nova stated, throwing a handful of caps on the counter.

"Okay then." Gob sighed, and began talking as he counted the caps very slowly.

* * *

"_Hello fuckers! Guess whose back in town!" James announced, as he entered the bar. _

"_The kid found his dad everyone. So guess who's buying tonight?" Jericho announced after James. _

"_Congrats James." Nova smiled, happily smiling for the young man. _

_James Sr. placed his hand on his son's shoulder, as Jericho walked up to the bar and sat down. _

"_Junior…I am a little concerned about your friendship with this man." His father stated, expressing concern for his sons friendship with the old raider. _

"_Relax dad. Come on, let's get a drink." James smiled, walking towards the bar with a mix of excitement and happiness._

"_When did you start drinking, junior?" His father asked. _

"_You don't want me to answer that dad. And please stop calling me that." James smiled, blushing at the constant repetition of the title junior. _

"_Gob, drinks for everyone." Jericho announced, receiving a laugh from James and a nod of approval. _

_A celebratory cheer broke out among the crowd at the bar, as the three walked up to the bar. James dropped a bag full of caps on the counter. His father remained silent, drinking his scotch slower than that of the company he had. His own son was downing whiskey at a quick pace, as if in competition with the old raider he was laughing fondly with. He frowned, as he looked down into the glass. The scotch formed ripples, as people who surrounded him slapped and thumped the counter top of the bar. His son, finally looking over to him, turned to face his father. _

"_Dad…everything okay?" James asked, looking at his fathers saddened expression. _

"_Yes. Of course son. Why do you ask?" His father asked, not changing his expression for a second._

"_You just seem…distracted?" James said, confused as to his fathers disappointed look. _

"_I'm fine." He assured, still lying to his son. _

"_Here. I got a surprise for you." James smiled, as he downed the remainder of his drink and stood up._

"_Gob, give me that guitar over there." James said, addressing the bartender. _

_Handing the young man the guitar, James lifted up a stool and carried it over to the corner of the bar. He began tuning the guitar to the only chords, of the only song he had learned. He had learned to play during his travels, as he found it kept him busy when he was recovering from injuries. However, the song he had learnt was the result of his time in Point Lookout. Someone other than his father who had knowledge of the bible, thought him to play and sing this old song. Despite his appreciation of the song, and how it managed to help him relax at times, he seldom played the song or guitar. Finding the right cords, and noticing now that everyone was staring at him, he took a deep breath. _

"_Okay guys. This is ONLY happening because I found my dad today. So, let me share this with him and you all. I don't think I would have ever found him, without the help I got here in megaton. I'll always remember you guys. Now I'm nothing like the guys on the radio, so don't expect much off me." James announced, as he sat down on the stool. _

_James began strumming the strings, before the bar goers heard a voice coming from him. It was a soft voice that got steadily louder as it sang. It didn't seem like it belonged to the singer, but it did. Jericho stared in disbelief at the kid, before turning to face James Sr., who looked like he had just been stabbed by an imaginary knife. _

"_The fucks wrong with you?" Jericho asked, slamming the empty bottle down on the bar top. _

"_He can't truly believe we're going home, can he?" James Sr. asked, as Jericho ordered another bottle of whiskey._

"_Aint ya?" he asked, looking at the kids dad. _

"_I know this is hard for you to believe, Jericho, but not everyone lets killers live among them. Especially not Vault 101." James Sr. explained in a condescending tone. _

"_So, tell the kid. He'll get the point." Jericho stated, as his drink arrived. _

"_I can't. It would destroy him." James Sr. responded, looking guilty into his glass. _

"_Bullshit." Jericho grunted, swinging his body around in the chair to face the kid's dad. _

"_Excuse me?" James Sr. asked confused as to what the old raider was getting at. _

"_You're saying that the kid will be destroyed if ya tell him the truth? Aint it fucked up to let him believe that one day you two can be happy little vaulties again?" Jericho asked, now glaring at the scientist. _

"_My first concern is getting to project Purity, and finishing my work. I can't get distracted now, not when I am this close." James Sr. explained, drinking from the dirty glass before him. _

"_That's fucked up." Jericho stated a little surprised at just how cruel the kids dad was about now. _

"_I don't expect you to understand." He responded, pissing Jericho off in the process. _

"_You know what I understand? This kid went through hell trying to find you. But you're only concerned about finishing your fucken experiment. What kind of father are ya?" Jericho barked glaring at the father, trying to stop himself from knocking him on his ass here and now. _

"_What do you know about being a father? If you don't mind me asking?" James Sr. asked, once again the condescension in his tone very clear. _

"_I know fucken nothing about being a dad, but apparently that's more than you do." Jericho responded._

"_Don't tell me that after all this time you have spent with my son, you actually care about him?" James Sr. asked, almost in amusement at the thought that this man before him cared about someone other than himself. _

"_You want to throw down? Cuz I am fine with kicking your ass in front of your son." Jericho threatened, smiling and ready to beat the shit into the kid's ungrateful father. _

_It was at this moment that the song stopped, and silence crept over the bar. Turning around Jericho and James Sr. saw three men holding up guns to everyone in the bar. Making sure none was reaching for their piece, or get involved with their business. Jericho knew exactly who had the balls to do something like this. Talon Mercs. _

"_Everyone shut the hell up! We're only here for him." The leader said as he approached James. _

"_God damn it, guys! Why do you assholes always have to show up when I don't want you? Maybe we can do this another time? How's about lunch? Next week?" James responded snidely at the Mercs. _

"_Funny guy… Hey Lou, that bounty say he's a fucking comedian?" One of the Mercs asked their leader, whose name was now revealed to be Lou. _

"_Nope. But life's full of little surprises." Lou answered. _

_James got off the stool slowly, and drunkenly. He wobbled a little to his left, and looked at the men before them. One was holding an assault rifle, another a handgun, and the last one had a sawn off shot gun holstered. The one holding the shotgun was clearly the leader, as he seemed the confident enough one to move close to James. Talon Company weren't the only group after him, but they were the most foolhardy of all of them. Add to the fact that last time James ran into these clowns, the bounty was 4000 caps, and you could see why they would try something this stupid. James watched as guns were trained on his father and mentor, and came up with an idea. _

"_Sit the fuck down." Lou threatened, raising the gun to his prey. _

_The room turned around to face the noise of a bottle breaking across the head of the mercenary at the end of the bar. Jericho had seized the opportunity, as James grabbed the attention of the group of mercenary's for the split second. Before his victim hit the floor, Jericho dived on top of the third mercenary ramming the broken bottleneck into the man's throat. Blood sprayed out of his wound onto the ground much to the horror of the civilians in the bar. James took a page from Jericho's book and swung the guitar with great fury towards the mercenary. It smashed into pieces as it connected with the man's skull, sending him crashing towards the wall. Taking the rifle, Jericho fired into his fist victim's skull._

_Walking over to the man he wounded; James stripped him of his weapon, and checked it for ammo. It already had a shot loaded, which made James smile. His father looked on in shock at his son. What had happened now was proof his son knew how to survive, but at what cost? What had he done to inspire such an assault? He watched as his son slapped the man's face with the gun to wake him up._

"_Come on big boy…" James said, as Lou began to regain consciousness. _

_James then shoved the mouth of the shotgun into the mouth of the mercenary. He knew there was only one way to solve this Talon company issue once and for all. And he bet a weeks' worth of caps, that this guy knew the answer to James's question. _

"_Now…here are your options. I pull the trigger now. Or you tell me where your boss is? And I am not talking about some fucking commander; I am talking about the guy who runs the show." James stated, speaking calmly with a dead expression on his face. _

"_Are you going to help me or not?" James asked, losing patience with Lou._

"_Hmh nof" Lou said, finding it difficult to voice objection with a gun in his mouth. _

"_You're outgunned, out matched and your guy's are dead. You go back to your boss, he'll just kill you. Honestly, I am giving you a chance here to live." James said, as Lou looked away from him towards James Sr._

"_Hey! Look into my eyes when I am talking to you!" James said, ripping the gun from Lou's mouth to slap him with it._

"_You think I'm fucken scared of you? You're all fucking talk!" Lou barked, smiling at James. _

"_Uh-huh…Just to make clear…your refusing to tell me what I wanna know?" James clarified, before Lou spat in his face._

"_Okay then…say goodbye to your balls." James said, before he pulled the trigger._

_The room echoed with the man's screams, as James stood over him, looking down at his victim. A sick smiled across his face, as he pulled a cigarette out of his pocked and lit it with a match. _

"_You're losing your touch kid, that's the kneecap." Jericho mocked, as James scratched his head and looked towards Jericho._

"_Damn. Your right. Must be the booze. Throw me that pistol, will you?" James asked._

_As if on instinct, the Merc reached down and pulled out a combat knife. This was the perfect opportunity to kill the Lone wanderer, he thought. Unfortunately for him, he was wrong. Grabbing the man's wrist and twisting his arm around, James pulled the knife from his hand. James then rammed the blade into the Mercs shoulder blade, before breaking the arm he was hold. The bones snap fell silent only due to the fact the arms owner let out a pained scream. James picked up the pistol that was thrown to him. Lou began to beg to be let go, to see a doctor or at least get a stimpack off someone. James checked the clip of the weapon, and pulling up a chair in front of the pained man, sat down. His father couldn't believe his eyes. He wanted to run over and stop his son, but his legs had become heavier than concrete. He could only spectate at his offspring's horrible actions, like everyone else at the bar. _

"_So…we're going to do this again. Let's start off with a new question, shall we?" James grunted, picking up the pistol and looking at Lou once again._

"_So, are you afraid of me now?" James asked an evil grin on his face._

"_Just let me go…"Lou pleaded._

"_Mmhm, I'll take that as a yes. So, next question." James responded, using the gun to scratch his head._

"_Please…please man; just get me to a doctor." Lou pleaded, before James slapped him hard across the face with the pistol._

"_Did I interrupt you? No? Then shut up." James snapped, glaring at the man before him._

"_Next question…where is your headquarters?" James asked, his tone growing more and more serious with each passing word spoken._

"_Fort Bannister." Lou answered, his voice become more and more panicked. _

"_Okay. Last Question. Who is your boss?" James asked, gripping the man's hair to move his head so they were looking into each other's eyes. _

"_Commander Jabsco." Lou admitted, as his eyelids began to drop while he spoke._

"_See that wasn't very hard, was it?" James stated, as he stood up and stretched out his arms. _

_The sense of relief that James Sr. felt was soon erased from his memory, as the sound of the final gunshot echoed through the bar. James had gone back on his word and fired the pistol into Lou's skull. James Sr. glared at his son, unable to believe this was the same son he had raised for 19 years. The same child, he had made with his beloved Catherine. Unable to control his disappointment, James Sr. decided to discipline his son. _

"_Junior!" James Sr. shouted, as he marched over to his son. _

_The room grew silent, as the father struck his son so hard that he hit the ground. James looked up at his father in shock, unable to believe that his own father had just hit him. _

"_What the hell is wrong with you!?" James Sr. roared, glaring angrily down at his son. His son shaking off the shock he felt, stood up and glared at his father. His breath quickening, and his fists clinched. _

"_He was here to kill me!" His son shouted, pointing a finger at the dead man. _

"_He was unarmed and wounded!" James Sr. barked, angrier than he had ever been before with his son. _

"_And if I let him live, he would have just come back with more guys and more guns. _ _They keep coming back, do you understand? Every time I negotiate or let them live, they just come back. So yes, I killed a man who had tried to kill me. And would have killed you and everyone else here at this bar, just because he could. It's me, or them." James barked, looking like he wanted to punch his father as hard as he could. But held back on his fury, like a child being told off by a disappointed parent, he bit his tongue. _

"_How many people have you killed, son?" James Sr.'s tone dropped to a more sad tone, as he asked this question. _

"_What do you want me to say, dad? You wanna know which ones deserved it… " James started, his face dropping to a shamed expression. _

"…_or better yet which ones who didn't?" James asked, his eyes looking to the floor, once again appearing as if he was a scorned child. _

"_You don't know?" James Sr. asked a concerned tone in his voice for his son. _

"_I can't forget. But I can live with that every day. So let me answer your question. No. I have no idea how many people I have killed. But I can remember them." James answered, pushing past his father and stepping towards the door. _

"_What happened to you? You're not the boy I raised, not the good boy I left in the vault. I left you in the vault so you wouldn't become like….well like this. A monster! What caused you to become like this!?" James Sr. asked in anger, finding the fact his son was walking away from him the ultimate act of defiance. _

"_You left me in the Vault, and I came looking for you." James answered, walking out of the bar._

* * *

"Then they left the bar, and the mess for me to clean up." Gob said, as he finished the story.

The door swung open and Jericho walked into the bar, looking as if he was ready to start a fight. Ignoring him, Susie turned back towards the bartender.

"So… they fought over the fact James was defending himself?" Susie asked, not sure why this was such a disgusting act to his father.

"Listen honey, I am sure you have heard a bunch of stories about the kid by now. However, you have to remember something." Gob explained, cleaning a glass with an old wash cloth as he spoke.

"What's that?" Susie asked.

"Hearing and seeing are two different experiences." Gob stated much to her confusion.

"What do you mean?" Susie asked, before Jericho butted into the conversation.

"He means, listening to a story about gutting a gecko is completely different to seeing the gecko get gutted in person." Jericho explained, before ordering a large whiskey and sitting down.

As if on command, the doors swung open once again, and this time three large metal beings walked into the bar. Their footsteps echoed loudly as they walked into the bar and surveyed it, making sure the room was clear for their commander.

"Oh god damn it…" Jericho grumbled, not even turning around to see those who entered. To Susie, this meant that Jericho knew who these people were.

"Who are they?" Susie asked Jericho, feeling nervous at the sight of them.

"The biggest assholes in the wasteland." Jericho explained vaguely.

"If their here, they need the kid for something." Jericho continued, finishing his drink quickly before turning to face them.

"We are looking for the vault dwellers that James Cole Jr. brought to town a few days ago." The muffled voice announced, making their authority known.

"So you come to town when the kid aint here? Very fucken brave of ya." Jericho mocked, looking towards the trio of heavily armed individuals.

"We don't want any trouble, Jericho, but of course, there's we can always go that way."

"Well see, I like the sound of that. Let's do that instead." Jericho stated, as he grinned at the three before him and reached for his shotgun.

"Who are you people?" Susie asked, halting Jericho's violent outburst temporarily.

"Commander…her arm." One of them stated, pointing towards Susie and her pip-boy.

"So your one of the vault dwellers James brought back with him?" The leader asked, as they stepped towards her.

"Yes…" Susie responded, feeling her body tremble at the sight of the approaching armoured individual.

"Stay away from the girl, otherwise, I'll knock you out like the kid did. Only this time you're gonna stay down." Jericho warned, causing the trio to halt in their tracks.

"Allow me to introduce myself." The leader announced, slight embarrassment in their tone as they began to remove their helmet.

The helmet was disconnected from the main body, before revealing inside the shell was a beautiful young woman. She couldn't have been much older than Susie, but still commanded much more authority than Susie ever could hope to. Her hair was wet with sweat, implying she rarely took the helmet off.

"My name is Sara Lyons, and we are the Brotherhood of steal." She said, as she revealed not only her identity but the identity of the men with her. Susie certainly didn't believe they were called the "Biggest Assholes in the Wasteland".

"I'm Susie Mack. It's nice to meet you." Susie introduced herself.

"You're probably the most polite vault dweller I have met yet." Sara smirked, as looked over the young woman.

"Um…thanks?"

"What do you want me for?" Susie asked, still feeling a little nervous around the heavily armoured woman.

"Is there any way we can discuss this somewhere a little more private?" Sara asked, looking directly at Jericho with distain.

"Um…sure." Susie agreed, walking towards the exit as she was followed by the Brotherhood members.

"The kids not gonna like this…" Jericho grunted, as he returned to his drinking

* * *

_**A/N.2: So hope you all enjoyed this story. Lets wrap up the important points:**_

_**1\. The first reference we have to the in game world is that the lone wanderer disappears on a whim. I mean when we play the game we spend days away from base not contacting home at all. And then will send companions back to said base if we want. Hence why Dogmeat is back and James isnt.**_

_**2\. This is the first time we hear about Father and Son together at last. Which is something I wanted to reference for a long time, but felt it was either too soon or too late. Gob tells the story because, well I like Gob. It may not come across that way in the story, as I have wrote him to be a little bitter, but remember how Susie refers to him at the start of this story and tell me you wouldnt be a little sore at her too.**_

_**3\. The guitar thing is something that has been a part of James's character for a while. Not because it makes him amazing, but because I am a lover of music and also wanted to make a music soothes the savage beast remark but not make it stupid. So I gave him the ability to play one song on a guitar. Plus lets face it, in his down time, like when hes injured and all that (not really a spoiler: which is a lot actaully. Some wounds cant be healed over night), he needs something to keep him busy. I have already stated his mind goes to dark dark places. So yeah its a way to keep him distracted.(The song is not lore breaking I assure you, its from before the 1950s so its pretty safe in the Fallout world)**_

_**4\. James Sr.'s point about the Vault is so true, and if you read my story Homeward Bound, you know just how true it is. However, Jericho's disgust at this is what I loved writing the most. Not that I think James Sr. is a bad dad, its just that when you get out of Tranquility Lane he wants to get right back to work. It always seemed to me that while you were important to him, work came first. Of course, he is just concerned for his son, but Jericho sees it as a fuck you to the son who sacrificed so much to find his father. Anyone who hasnt picked it up yet, Jericho cares about James. However, if he admitted it he wouldnt be Jericho. Two things he does know, that he cares about the kid and he is the only one that can probably kill James if he ever loses it.**_

_**5\. Talon Merc's are just assholes...I mean it . I fucking hate them. The joke that James makes is my absolute honest opinions. Almost everytime I am low on health or stimpacks guess who shows up?!**_

_**6\. With the amount of nameless kills you make in fallout you cant possibly remember the number. But James can remember those who deserved it the most, and didnt deserve it at all. **_

_**7\. The Brotherhood is not well liked by James...guess why?**_

**_Anyways loyal readers, I hope you enjoyed this long awaited chapter, and hope you R&amp;R otherwise how will I know what you think? See you guys later. Next chapter will come sooner I promise. Already Started at it._**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Hello to all those who have stuck by me in reading my little continuation of my Lone Wanderer story. This one came sooner than the last chapter did as I promised, and holds a certain amount of references to previous chapters, and Homeward Bound. Why do this? Because I wanted to. Truth be told if I didnt write the things I wanted to write I would have given up on this story a long time ago. As always there will be a list of explaining some points of this story at the bottom of the page. Be cool and dont ruin it for yourself by skipping to the end. Remember to R&amp;R, because I love reading the opinions on my story.**_

* * *

Susie led the heavily armoured group to James's house, where they were greeted with the sounds of shouting and argument. Butch had apparently come back from wherever the hell he had been, and began arguing with that Wadsworth. The argument apparently concerned the Butch's search for James's secret liquor stash, and Wadsworth's denial of its existence. However, this argument stopped when the three metal titans walked into the home. Wadsworth was the first to speak.

"Oh dear. I believe those suits of power armour belong to the Brotherhood of Steel." Wadsworth examined disappointment in his tone as he spoke.

"That's correct. We are with the Brotherhood." One of the guards said, pride in his voice.

"Then I apologise for my rudeness, but my master has ordered I shoot any unauthorized brotherhood of steel members that invade this house on sight." Wadsworth lamentably confessed, as he drew his plasma tendril forward.

"What?" Susie asked, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

"Be ready men." Sara Lyons ordered, as her bodyguards raised their weapons towards the maintenance bot.

"Wadsworth, stop!" Susie shouted, as Butch ducked for cover behind the closest chair.

The blaster clicked, but no form of energy flowed from its mouth. The room grew quiet as the maintenance bot failed to fire the weapon at least twice more before speaking.

"Oh my…it appears RL-3's old plasma blaster is non-functional. In light of this, may I offer you all something to drink?" Wadsworth offered, as the brotherhood guards lowered their weapons.

"Um…no thank you." One of the guards responded, his tone confused but relived at the same time.

"I'll have water. Men, you two guard the front. Make sure none interrupts this meeting." Sara ordered.

"Yes ma'am." The two said in synch, before marching out of the house.

"Susie…who are these guys?" Butch asked, coming out of hiding and moving over to Susie.

"Butch, this is Sara…she's with the brotherhood of steel." Susie introduced, timidly waving a hand towards Sara.

"Who the hell are they?" Butch asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"We are an elite group of soldiers who want to use technology to benefit the people of the wasteland, as well as purge the mutant menace from the world." Sara explained.

"You mean like that gob thing?" Butch asked a look of revulsion on his face at the thought of the bartender.

"Excuse me?" Sara asked, not sure what a Gob was.

"Gob…he's the bartender at Moriarty's?" Susie answered, wondering how heavy the armour Sara wore was.

"Oh…no he's not exactly what I meant when I said Mutant. He's just a ghoul." Sara stated.

"Looks pretty mutated to me." Butch mumbled under his breath.

"Anyways, let's get to the reason I am here. We need your help." Sara explained, smiling slightly at that of the two Vault dwellers.

"Which is?" Susie asked, feeling a little more confident now.

"One minute please. I think you two would be more comfortable if I were to remove my power armour." Sara said, as the hulking suit of armour opened behind her allowing her to step out.

Outside of the suit, she wasn't much taller than that of Susie, but was defiantly in better shape than she was. Her body was toned with muscle, but not an overabundance of muscle like the suit would suggest. Susie would have not believed a woman of this frame and size was capable of powering such a large suit of armour on her own, had she not seen it with her own eyes. Susie had to admit, she was a bit jealous of this woman. She was beautiful, strong, and confident. Susie wished she could have like that.

"So what do you need from us?" Susie asked.

"Specifically, we need your pip boy information." Sara explained, while she began stretching her limbs as if she had been asleep for days.

"Why the hell do you need that? Can't you get your own?" Butch asked, wondering what she could hope to gain from their pip-boys information.

"No. You see, Doctor Cole was not a fool, and realised that people besides himself would try and access his research. So he made a rather ingénues failsafe so only a select few could access his research. That is to say, only people with a Vault 101 standard issue pip-boy 3000 are capable of unlocking the data." Sara reluctantly answered, feeling like it was better to be honest with them rather than lie.

"And by Doctor Cole, you mean James's dad?" Susie asked, raising an eyebrow towards the woman.

"Correct." Sara answered, knowing what the next question would be.

"So, if you need a vault 101 pip-boy why not ask the James to help?" Butch asked, showing a hint of laziness as well as curiosity as he spoke.

"…." Sara remained silent, garnering more suspicion from the two.

"Here is your water Ma'am." Wadsworth interrupted handing the bottle of water to the brotherhood member.

"Thanks." Sara gratefully accepted the water, taking a drink from it almost instantly.

"So… why don't you ask him?" Susie repeated Butch's question, much to the dismay of Sara.

"Because he wouldn't do it, if you did ask." Butch answered for the silent Sara.

"That's the reason isn't it?" Butch smiled, acting as if he had cracked an unbreakable code.

"Yes. But there is more to it than that." Sara explained, sighing as she leaned back in her chair.

"How do you know James?" Susie asked, wanting to avoid any conflict between them and the armoured soldiers

"Well…we met a long time ago, before he went to the Pitt." Sara responded.

"Back then, he was a coward. I mean, he was afraid to fire a weapon. This was a kid, who had to be forced to fire the only thing that could save his life from a behemoth." She went on, as she recalled the cowardly young man outside of GNR.

"He said he wanted to be a hero, some kind of justice crusader." Sara said her voicing beginning to quiet as she recalled his desire to be a hero.

"Sounds like the dork." Butch stated, as he was responded with laughter.

"You know what, that's exactly what I called him after he told me that…" Sara chuckled, looking to the ceiling of the house.

"But" she started.

"Next time I saw him, he was a different man." She continued, beginning her story.

* * *

_James had remained silent since his arrival at the citadel, not responding to anyone despite the level of questions he was asked. In the last twelve hours, James had watched his father die, and forced to abandon the research James Sr. had so much of his life researching. He was in the process of grieving, and realising that his journey had come to an end. There was no point in continuing his journey now that his father was dead. _

"_Excuse me…James?" a woman said, approaching the young dirty man. _

_James looked up at the woman before him, Doctor Li. She looked concerned for the young man, but there was something else to her stare. One that said, "I need something from you". The only reason she was approaching him now, was probably because Jericho had gone to the restroom. James just stared in silence at her, a blank expression on his face and his eyes devoid of any expression. _

"_I want to tell you, I am sorry for the loss of your father. James…was a great man. He would be very of you, if he saw how you took charge and got us all to safety." She sympathised, resting a hand on James's shoulder. _

_James just continued to look at her, now an expression of confusion on his face. Like he wasn't quite sure what the doctor was saying to him, but knew it was directly spoken to him. After a moment, James looked back to his feet with an almost hypnotic gaze. _

"_James…I am sorry to have to ask this…but we need your help to unlock your father's research." Doctor Li explained, snapping James out of his daze. Remaining silent, he now looked at her sharply with contempt in his expression. _

"_You see, only a vault 101 pip boy can unlock his research. He really was a genius…if not a tad paranoid." She continued, as the young man held his expression. _

_It was at this moment that the Lyons Pride marched into the room. Noticing them, James stood up and returned his gaze to the steel wall before him. Pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, he lit the small paper tube and began smoking it. _

"_How long have the brotherhood known about project purity?" He said in a quiet angry voice, his gaze focused on the wall before him. _

"_We have known about it from day one. How do you think your father got the technology to run project purity?" Sara Lyons asked, ready to remove her helmet, but halted as he spoke again. _

"_So, you mean to tell me…that you knew that these other assholes in power armour wanted the research my dad was working on. And rather than protect the one man that would have given his left nut to save the people of the wasteland, you decided to leave the entire facility unprotected?" James barked, turning to the brotherhood members with tears in his eyes. _

"_It's not that simple." Sara went on, certain this conversation was not going to end well. _

"_Really? Because I think it's exactly that fucking simple!" James roared his voice breaking as he held back his sorrow as best he could. _

"_The Brotherhood cannot hope to protect an entire wasteland with the little resources it does have." Paladin Kodiak spoke, his unfeeling tone not helping the situation. _

"_We aren't talking about an entire wasteland; we are talking about a building across the river from here!" James growled, as his fists clinched. _

"_You cannot expect us to use our little resources on a project that was abandoned twenty years ago." Sara rationalised, wanting to calm the situation as best she could. _

"_But it expects everyone else to do the fucking work for them?!" James barked, glaring at the power armoured soldiers before him. _

"_You watch your mouth outsider!" Knight Captain Gallows warned, as James wiped the tears on his sleeve and approached the Pride, specifically Gallows. _

"_Or you will what? Kill the only person you need to access the research you need so badly? Sure you will." James mocked, glaring into the visor of the paladin before him. _

_The room grew silent, as James looked around the room in surveying the soldiers before him in power armour. Checking his weapons, and looking towards the members now blocking his exit. Sara had moved over to Doctor Li, but Paladin Kodiak, Glade, and Knight Captain Gallows remained standing in the doorway._

"_Out of my way…" James growled in a warning tone._

"_Not until you answer our question. Are you going to help us?" Glade asked, sounding more threatening than polite. _

"…_.um….How's about, not in a million fucking years. You didn't help my dad; I sure as hell won't help you." James answered, anger and hatred in his tone as he stood before the Pride members. _

"_We won't let you leave until-"_

_It was at this moment, that James struck Kodiaks head with his fist, and sent his helmet flying off his shoulders. Sara had never seen anything like that before, at least not without the use of a power fist. Kodiak hit the ground, as others looked in shock for a moment at the Lone Wanderer before his brothers Glade and Gallows decided to gang up on James. Fighting like a cornered dog, James refused to stay down from the barrage of physical assaults the men of the Lyons Pride were giving him. Despite the fact that they were wearing full sets of Power armour, James still fought bare handed against them. Rage and revenge were fuelling his actions with each fist thrown. It didn't matter that these men were not Enclave; the fact that they were wearing power armour was enough to blame them. While they had power on their side, each blow causing James to stagger in cough in pain, James had speed and the ability to move unburdened around his opponent. These advantages he exploited until their commander spoke. _

"_STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" Sara Barked, not wishing to see any harm befall her men or the one man that could help them beat the enclave. _

_While the Pride members did indeed stop for a moment, James did not. He continued his assault, catching the men off guard. James quickly sucker punched Glade hard, before kicking the Kodiak in the jaw. Quickly he wrapped his arm around the neck of Gallows, and began to pull in an attempt to snap his neck. _

"_STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Sara warned pulling out her rifle and aiming at James. _

"_James, stop it!" Doctor Li begged, watching in horror as Gallows struggled to break free. _

"_Come on….let's hear that snap!" James said, motivating his victim's neck to give way and break. _

_However, James was halted by the thunderous sound of a shotgun being fired. Loosening his grip, James and the others looked towards the origin of the noise. Standing at the end of the hall was Jericho, holding the recently fired shotgun in his hand. _

"_Now sees, I am usually all for killing dumb shits like these guys. But Kid…this aint you." Jericho announced, speaking to James in a way the kid had never heard before. _

"_The fuck do you know, Jericho?!" James barked, tightening his grip once again around Gallows neck. _

"_I HAVE NOTHING NOW! No home! Nobody! My whole reason for coming out here, to the wasteland, to this fucking hellhole, was to find my dad and bring him home. NOW HE'S DEAD!" James announced, as Gallows struggled for breath._

"_And these cunts could have stopped it!" He growled, as glaring around at the brotherhood members present. _

"_You can hate these bastards all ya want, but you kill that guy now…you're gonna regret it." Jericho explained, as he stepped closer to James. _

"_Let's just leave these fucken nerds alone, and hit the bar in rivet city." Jericho offered, offering James his hand._

_James looked towards Jericho, and closing his eyes he dropped the man to the ground. Taking Jericho's hand, he stood up in front of the old raider before him. Both men remained silent as they looked at each other, while the audience around them watched motionless. _

"_I aint gonna fucken hug ya, if your waiting for that." Jericho barked, turning his back to James. _

_James smiled, and laughed at his friend. James rubbed his bloodied knuckles, and looked back to the men he had beat the hell out of. _

"_Let's get the hell out of here." Jericho said, as they walked towards the exit._

"_How long were you standing there?" James asked, following his friend. _

"_About from the moment you punched the helmet off the big guy." Jericho laughed, as they exited the building._

* * *

"So…James beat up your men?" Susie asked, making sure she didn't miss anything.

"Some soldiers you guys are." Butch mocked, much to the un-amused Sara Lyons.

"I am glad you find this so amusing." Sara grumbled.

Suddenly noises could be heard from the outside of the house. Someone was attacking the men guarding the outside of the house, and apparently winning. Before Sara could even get back into her armour, the door swung open. Before them was a man in black combat armour, a white bird's claw painted on his left breast, and wearing a motorcycle helmet.

"Let's see, I've been shot at, stabbed, burnt, and had my leg used as a chew toy for a wild dog." He said, holding a machine gun towards the group.

Susie's heart raced as he moved towards them, fear had made her legs as heavy as cement. Was this one of the enemy's James had made during his time out in the wasteland? She only now realised that Dogmeat was nowhere to be seen in the house. But her mind quickly focused back on the man before them.

"Now, I'm going to ask you all one question. And one question only." He growled.

"Look man, we don't want any trouble!" Butch pleaded, his voice losing all confidence.

"Shut the fuck up!" He barked, as his hand reached up to his helmet and ripped it off his head.

"WHO THE FUCK LET THE BROTHERHOOD IN MY HOUSE?!" James barked, as Susie now realised he was aiming and glaring at Sara Lyons. Dogmeat followed in, behind his master.

* * *

_**A/N 2: Wasnt that fun? I personally love writing fight scenes. Heres the references and the information you should know about some of the characters in this chapter as well as why it is worded the way it is. **_

_**1\. Wadsworth is a personal favorite character of mine to both write for, and converse with in game. And from some PM's I got from you fine readers, I can see you all enjoy him as well. So, why did he attempt to shoot the Pride? Because his master ordered him to. **_

_**2\. RL-3's blaster malfunctioned because it was damaged when James removed it from the old army units body, and none knew that it was until he had to use it. Which means, as should be obvious by now, that Wadsworth has never fired it. Because he is a butler and not a soldier. **_

_**3\. The Gaurds with Sara are not refered to by name because Susie does not know who they are, only Sara does, and she has not introduced them yet. **_

_**4\. Sara is not from Megaton and therefore has no idea who Gob is. Its not like everyone knows each other in the wasteland anyways. Dave and anyone from his republic surely wouldnt know Ronald Laren or Sierra Petroviata from Girdershade would they? (at least not to my knowledge) Wasteland is a big place, home to a whole lot of people. **_

_**5\. Heres a big explanation: The pip-boy thing came from a long time thinking about ways and reasons nobody else could continue James's work after he had gone. At first it was because he had taken all his research with him, but as soon as he leaves the vault he had to think of a way to make sure none could continue his work but him or his son. So I tried to find a way that made both sense, and made sure that none else could access the research. Then it hit me. Thanks to fallout 4, I was given the idea that each pip boy has its own unique model and code as it should be. As a result James Sr. and James Jr.'s pip boys hold the same code and model that can access the files for the research and tell them they need the Geck to complete said research. However, this also means that anyone with a Vault 101 pip-boy can access the research, hence why the brotherhood have come to Butch and Susie for help. This also explains why James has spent so long in the capital Wasteland since finding his father, as he refused to help the brotherhood.**_

_**6\. Once again, we hear about a side of James completely different from that of his present state. A "dork" so to speak, full of optimism and believing the world is only black and white. Also kind of a coward. But does this really surprise you? James was raised in a Vault, he had no idea of the horrors of the wasteland until he left it. Even then, he had never pulled the trigger and killed something that wasnt a bug. Side note, James repaired the gnr dish and then went to the pitt. **_

_**7\. Doctor Li being the one to ask seemed natural to me. After all he wasnt going to listen to someone who didnt know his father. **_

_**8\. The Brotherhood knowing about project purity seems pretty obvious if you asked me, after all they have a tunnel that leads right to it, and it is just across the rive from them. Plus imagine how much caps it costed the researchers otherwise to get all that tech? It had to be provided by someone. **_

_**9\. James's outburst is completely expected, as I have stated above they did know about but did little to help him out when he needed it. There is also another little reference to the player doing all the work of the main quest while the Brotherhood do nothing but stick around the citadel. **_

_**10\. James punching out a B.O.S Member is in fact talked about in Homeward Bound, when Jericho recalls this moment. **_

_**11\. I have already stated that James is not a superman, so i am sure your thinking "But you just made him take on Three members of the Lyons Pride bare handed!". Yes I did, and Sara makes the point that she has never seen that happen before without the use of a powerfist. My response? Unless you have not been paying attention, you will know James has a robotic arm. This is why the knuckled on his other hand are bloody, because its still flesh and bone. The hand he used to knock out Kodiak was the mechanical one. **_

_**12\. Gallows being the one whose neck james trys to break was kinda of a dark joke based around his name. He is also described as struggling for breath as James's arm is wrapped around his neck. In case you didnt get it, google the word Gallows. **_

_**13\. You didnt really expect Jericho to hug James did you? Like I have said, I try my hardest to be as true to the characters as I can. Jericho has to swear, and has to be an asshole. Plus, it would just feel weird and awkward writing a scene where James was sad and he and Jericho hugged. They dont have that kind of friendship. **_

_**14\. Where was Dogmeat? He smelled his master and went looking for him. **_

_**15\. James did not leave with Talon Company armor on, he left with normal combat armor on. But on his journey that armor got fucked up, so he took the armor of the nearest corpse he could find. Hence why Susie didnt know it was him till he removed the helmet. **_

_**16\. James has never seen Sara Lyons without a helmet on. This is a personal decision I made a long time ago, as I felt it was stupid for the leader of a group of soldiers to go around with her helmet off. Especially around a battlefield like DC Ruins. So, James has in fact never known who the leader of the Lyons Pride was, yet alone known she was a woman. **_

_**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and look forward to the next chapter. Remember you can PM me any questions you have that you dont want to put into a review, and I will more than likely respond. I appreciate all your reviews and look forward to reading them. Until then, See you guys all next chapter. **_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Where have I been? Finishing College, as well as rewriting this chapter almost 5 times. This is chapter has some of my favorite scenes that I have ever written, and does not have a story about James in it. So no flashbacks, but we do hear about his exploits despite the fact that there is no flashback. I am sorry for how late this is to everyone who has supported, and waited patiently for the new chapter of Megaton Stories. I feel like this chapter will in fact put a smile on many of your faces who have followed this story from the start. Remember to R&amp;R, and as usual a large authors note will appear at the bottom. **_

* * *

Susie stood in shock and joy at the sight of James. She was so happy to see him alive, but also afraid as he seemed very on edge at the sight of the Brotherhood of steel. Susie watched as James lowered his weapon and glared in confusion at Sara. It was like he recognised the armour, but not the person inside of it.

"I see you're as pleasant as ever, Mr Cole. Or do you prefer the Lone Wanderer?" Sara asked, her arms still up in the air in surrender.

"Who the hell are you?" James asked, glaring at the woman.

"Sara Lyons? We have met on multiple occasions." Sara explained, a little insulted at the fact James did not remember her.

"Wait…Lyons…you're the asshole that leads the Lyons pride?" James asked a look of confusion on his face.

"Yes…Something wrong?" Sara asked, as confused as the man asking the question.

"No...I'm actually just surprised." James admitted.

"At what?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow to James.

"I had no idea you were a woman." James confessed, smiling before chuckling softly in amusement at this fact.

"Well I am." Sara said, now offended at his comment.

"I can fucking see that! Now, get the fuck out of my house!" James barked, his tone returning to its previously aggressive state.

"We are not here for you, Wanderer." Sara explained, much to the confusion of James.

"Oh that's a surprise. I must have the wrong address then, because I was positive this was my house. However since you're not currently being attacked by my butler – PER HIS ORDERS- I guess this can't be my house." James spoke angrily and sarcastically, glaring at the brotherhood member.

"Sir, this is your home. You were not mistaken." Wadsworth intervened, his tone concerned.

"I KNOW WADSWORTH, I WAS BEING SARCASTIC!" James shouted, his anger causing Suzy to tremble in fear slightly.

"We are here for the other vault dwellers." Sara explained, now glaring at the man with the gun.

"What do you want them for?" James asked, raising an eyebrow to Sara and calming his tone.

"That's none of your business." Sara responded bluntly.

"I think it's very much my business, because I am sure you are just going to use them to get my dad's research." James said, his voice carrying a dark tone despite his calm voice.

"And? Do you really want to start a war with the Brotherhood just because you hate us?" Sara asked little fear in her eyes as she stared at him.

"A war? With me? I want you to think about something for a minute. See I know you keep files on everything of interest in the capital wasteland, so you know all I have done. Now let me ask you two questions:"

How many people have threatened to go to war with me?

How many of those people are still around?

The room grew deathly quiet when James finished asking his question. Susie wanted to know the answers, but at the same time feared what the answers would be. Susie wasn't sure she liked this image of James before her, and hoped to whatever god was out there listening that this was some sort of awful dream again. But it wasn't, it was reality.

"Going to war with me would be a big mistake. You understand me." James explained, glaring at the women before him.

"The wasteland is on the brink of all-out war, and you're just going sit back and watch it burn rather than help us?" Sara asked, taking a step away from the man before her.

"No. I am not just going to watch it burn. I might bring a couple of beers with me and have a nice cook out. Fuck this wasteland." James laughed, still showing contempt in his tone and eyes.

"The Brotherhood is not like any enemy you have ever faced before, Mr Cole." Sara argued, causing James's smile to drop to a frown.

"No… that's right, I haven't. Because you have to look like heroes in front of the people you pretend you protect. But here's the reality, Sara, I'm the lone wanderer, you're the brotherhood. I am the man who makes armies of fiends run away, and you're the shining hope of the Wasteland. But when it all comes down to it, I bet you have just as hard a time looking at yourself in the mirror as I do." James explained, a smile spreading around his face as he glared down at Sara.

"Commander!" came a voice from the door, as the two brotherhood members from outside had finally regained consciousness.

"Great, your cadets have woken up…I'm getting a drink." James said, as he passed Sara with Dogmeat following behind him.

Susie watched James as he moved into the kitchen, without another word spoken. She looked over at Wadsworth, who looked towards her. She wasn't sure why, but she knew he was ashamed of himself for disobeying his master. She was not the only one nervous around this aggressive James, and she could see that. To make matters even more unnerving for her, she now feared for what he would say to her once he found out she invited them over.

Pulling a beer out of the fridge, James walked over to a chair and sat down. He let out a groan of pleasurable discomfort, like a man who had not rested in two days who had finally gotten to sit down. Dogmeat lay down beside him, guarding him from any sudden attacks.

"Commander, is this him?" One of the men asked Sara.

"Yes that's him." Sara answered, looking wearily over at James.

"I thought he'd be taller." He said, his bewildered tone gaining a snigger from Butch.

James sat down at the table, placing his beer to his left and a pistol to his right. Pulling out a pair of glasses, he put them on as he inspected his pistol. Pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and placing it into his mouth before lighting it, he began to smoke it. Susie actually didn't know he wore glasses, and had to admit that he looked much smarter with them on. It was at this moment that a brotherhood member, the one that asked about James a moment ago, moved closer to James. Raising his head, Dogmeat growled at the incoming Brotherhood member. Tapping his head, James silenced the dog before raising his own head towards the approaching figure.

"Um…sir…." He began, as James looked up towards him exhaling a cloud of smoke from his mouth towards the brotherhood member.

"What do you want?" James asked, his tone expressing nothing but contempt.

"I'm…um….I was wondering….is it true….the story about the behemoth and you using only one grenade to kill it." The man asked, stammering nervously.

"Are you a fucking stalker? Or a fan?" James asked, annoyed more than flattered.

"What…no sir…" He corrected, more nervous now than he was before.

"Don't call me sir…I'm 21. I am probably younger than you." James interrupted, taking another deep drag of his cigarette.

"Um…right…well I guess you can call me a fan then." He said, as James turned back towards his pistol and continued checking it.

"Then I hope you enjoyed getting the shit kicked out of you by someone you're a fan of." James said in a deadpan tone, pulling the cigarette from his mouth and flicking the ash into the ashtray.

"I am just happy to be alive, I have heard some people don't get that after taking you on….so is it true?" The soldier asked, not really wanting to leave without some form of answer.

"Yes. It's fucking true. The bastard had me in his big fucking hand, squeezing the life out of me, and was going to eat me. So I threw a grenade into his big mouth, and watched his head blow up." James snapped, slamming the pistol on the table and turning to face the soldier.

"That's incredible." He said in amazement, as James put out his cigarette in the ashtray.

"Thanks. Now fuck off out of my house." James barked, causing the soldier to step back away from James.

"Miss Mack, do you accept our request for assistance?" Sara asked, hoping that seeing James like this would influence her answer.

"No she doesn't!" James barked, springing up from his chair and looking towards the two women.

"James, I can make my own decision." Susie interrupted not wanting to be controlled by someone else again, like she was in the vault.

"No you can't. Not this time!" James argued, looking towards Susie with a dark look in his eyes.

"Mr Cole, we are not talking to you." Sara stated, pushing Susie out of the way and getting into James face.

"Well I want you out of my town, and out of my life!" James growled looking directly into her eyes.

"Well, if Miss Mack accepts our offer, we will never bother you again." Sara stated her point clear and rational to almost everyone in the room.

"Or you can leave now." James stated, a smirk passing his face.

"Not until we get an answer from Miss Mack, or Butch." Sara responded, causing James to roll his eyes before a smile crossed his face.

"You know what? How's this? Your best fighter in a fist fights against me. One on One. You win; you can stick around town, and try and convince her into going with you. You lose, you get the fuck out of my town and you never ever try to trick someone into helping you with project purity again." James said, pulling the glasses off his face and looking smirking directly at Sara Lyons.

"What could that accomplish?" Sara asked, raising an eyebrow to James.

"For one, I won't have to kill you right here and now where you stand." James started.

"Second, you're not going to get a better deal than this." James concluded, smirking at the military leader.

"Fine…I agree." Sara begrudgingly agreed.

"Great." James smiled.

"FUCK YEAH! We're gonna see a fight!" Butch said, reminding everyone in the room of his presence at last.

"Shut the fuck up Butch." James barked, looking over his shoulder at the Tunnel Snake.

"I fail to see the logic in this deal, sir." Wadsworth said, stating his opinion on his master's idea.

"I don't pay you to see the logic in my brilliance." James responded, making himself out to be more of a genius than he knew he was.

"I was not aware I was getting paid for my services." Wadsworth said in a deadpan tone.

"You're not." James responded, rubbing his eyes as he talked to the butler.

"Well then sir, I would like to renegotiate my contract then." Wadsworth responded, causing James to look at him in annoyance.

"Stop being a smart ass, Wadsworth." James ordered.

"Why don't I meet you half way, sir? I will continue to use my intellect, and you may have permission to act as much of a derriere as you care to." Wadsworth stated, causing James to chuckle to himself.

After a few minutes, Sara turned to James with a look of determination on her face as she approached him. James looked towards her, away from his butler. Looking down at him, she took a deep breath, but before she could utter a word James interrupted her.

"Made your decision?" James asked, smiling at Sara.

"Yes. And I have decided that I will be your opponent." Sara responded, her face completely emotionless with determination.

The room went silent, as James looked over his opponent. A smile crossed his face, as lowered the pistol to the surface of the table. Standing up and stretching his body out, he looked towards the challenger before him.

"Come on then." James said, as he walked towards the front door.

"We aren't fighting here?" Sara asked, having assumed that they were going to fight inside his house.

"I don't want you to mess my place up." James answered, looking back towards the other occupants in his house.

"You do a bloody good job of doing that yourself, sir." Wadsworth said in a snide manner.

* * *

Accompanied by their associates the two combatants left the home of the lone wanderer, and walked towards the centre of town. James removed the armour that he wore on his chest, and stood before his opponent bare chested. Smiling at Sara, he was surprised she wasn't getting back into her power armour.

"Coming out of your shell to fight?" James said his tone more of condescension than anything else. A crowd was now gathering around them, as they stood opposite to each other.

"Continue to joke, Mr Cole. Remember, he who laughs last, laughs loudest." Sara responded, raising her fists towards James.

"Oh I plan to laugh my ass off when I knock you out." James reacted, smiling at her while mimicking her actions.

Rushing towards her, James swung his fist at her with great speed. However, Sara was unlike any raider he had ever beaten down before. She was skilled in hand to hand combat. Ducking his attack, she raised her elbow and rammed it in his jaw sending him back a few steps. Rushing towards him, she connected with a gut punch, before she felt his hand on her head gripping her hair. Swinging his head back, he rammed his skull forward into her face, sending her back in pain. Both of them were dazed by this attack, however, James was the one snapped out of it first. Running towards her James raised his leg; James rammed his boot heel into her stomach. Grunting, Sara had to fight through the pain if she had any hope of winning this fight. The one thing she had to make sure to avoid was his robotic arm. If she was to take one shot from that metallic fist, she would need more than a few seconds to recover. In fact, were she to take a hard enough hit, it would be fatal. James roared as he drove his fist towards Sara, with the intent of finishing the fight now. Cramming the arm between her own and armpit, Sara jabbed James in the jaw hard before delivering three consecutive kicks to his abdomen. Then spinning him around, pushed him away and onto the countertop of the Brass Lantern. Bowels and bottles scattered and shattered to the ground, as James hit the counter. He groaned in pain, as he slowly pushed himself up from the counter. This wasn't going to be an easy fight to win, but he loved a challenge. Before he could even turn around, he felt fist after fist being delivered to his kidneys. Swinging around fast, he just missed her with his forearm as she ducked. Using the countertop as leverage James raised his feet fast, slamming his toe into Sara's jaw sending her falling backwards to the ground. James took the moment he could spare to draw breath, as Sara got up slowly to her feet. The crowd cheered for both fighters, some wanting to see the Lone Wanderer get the crap kicked out of him. Others wanting to see James win for whatever reasons were their own. One thing was clear however, James had drawn first blood. This time, James was the slower to react, as Sara used the momentum she received from pushing against the ground into a run to her advantage. Raising her leg as she charged, with the intent of knocking the wind out of him, she was surprised when the man she was sure was exhausted grabbed the leg. It still hurt, unless the expression on his face was wrong, but he now held the advantage. Squeezing it tight in his mechanical hand, raised his free arm and slammed it down on her leg. It didn't break it, but he knew he bruised it just enough to make it hurt. Pushing her away from him, he got back into his stance. Rushing towards her again, she grabbed his punch and flipped him to the ground into an arm bar. He screamed, as she held the hold tight.

"Give up, James! Even if you win, they'll just send someone else after you." Sara stated the belief of her victory certain in her mind.

Hearing these words, James swung his mechanical arm towards her leg that was currently wrapped around his only flesh arm and gripped it tightly. The mechanical vice gripped her leg so tight that her grip loosened on his arm, allowing him to free it almost instantly. James saw the opportunity to pin her down, and took it. Climbing on top of her and pinning her shoulders down, James gripped her throat and glared into her eyes.

"If there was someone else they could send, then they wouldn't have sent you." James stated, as he looked down at her.

Sara knew she only had one move to incapacitate him, and get out of this hold. Using all her now fading strength, Sara drove her knee into his groin.

"FUCK!" James groaned, as he griped his testicles and fell over and cupped his groin. This was the perfect opportunity for Sara to collect herself, and regain the advantage. Scuttling back away from James, she got to her feet just in time to see him stagger to his.

Rushing over to him, she punched him hard across the face, sending him back. He was now in a daze. That last punch had done more damage than she had expected it to, and from the looks of it, had broken his nose. Sara punched him in the nose once again, causing even more pain to flow through his body. Sara was ready to throw a hard right hook, when he caught it in his mechanical hand and gripped it tight. Sara could feel the bones in her hand being crushed in his mechanical grip, before he pulled her forward and into his knee. He let go of her hand and took hold of her hair, smashing his forearm into her jaw, as she dug her fist into his stomach. He let go of her hair and both of them pushed the other back. Sweat pumping from their bodies, as they stared at each other in exhaustion. A gunshot fired into the air, stopping the fight from going any further.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Lucas Simms barked, holding his machine gun out. The disappointment of the crowd echoed in the streets, before he fired another shot to shut them all up.

"Shut the hell up." He shouted as the crowd began to disperse.

James marched his way through the crowd, stopping only to glare at Simms. A winner had not been decided.

* * *

"That was fucking intense!" Butch said, feeling pumped after watching that fight.

"Wadsworth?" Susie asked, looking towards the robot butler.

"Yes, Miss Susie?" Wadsworth asked, turning to Susie in the now shrinking crowd.

"Why did you think that this is a bad idea?" Susie asked, looking towards the two wounded and exhausted fighters. James was talking to Billy Creel and Lucy West, who both seemed happy to see him.

"As soon as the master stepped into this house, I scanned his body to see if he needed medical treatment. My results were that he has not slept in some time, and currently has two cracked ribs and three new stab wounds. My conclusion was that he was unfit to participate in this fight." Wadsworth explained, as James approached the three.

"James, Are you-"

"Who the fuck, do you think you are?!" James barked at Susie, interrupting her mid-sentence.

"What do mean?" Susie asked, now sounding more frightened than she had before.

"You're asking around town about me, and then decide to invite brotherhood into my house. MY fucking house!" James barked, glaring at Susie and Butch now.

"I'm…I'm sorry." Susie stammered, taking a step back from James.

"Oh you're sorry? I guess that makes everything all better doesn't it?" James said in condescension, still clearly angry at them both.

"James, you don't have to be such an asshole." Butch stated, before James turned to him.

"Butch, I will break your fucking arm off, you don't shut up." James threatened, his tone becoming more and more like an animals.

"To make matters worse, I bet you were considering going with those assholes. You were, weren't you? Let me guess. They offered you safety or some shit like that. Well, here's my last little bit of advice for you two. You join those assholes; I never want to see your faces again. Now why don't you get into practice at leaving, and get out of my fucking face." James said, hate and rage in his voice. Susie could feel her eyes well up with tears, as he spoke words that felt like a twisting knife in her stomach.

"I'm sorry" Susie said, tears rolling down her face as she looked at the angry man before her.

"Oh god damn it, if you're going to cry, I am going home! Wadsworth! Let's go!" James barked, turning away from them and walking home.

"Um…yes sir." Wadsworth hesitated, as he followed his master back to the house.

* * *

Later, after the crowd had dissolved, the sun had set, and the tears had stopped, Susie found herself sitting between the railings of the same balcony she stood her first night in Megaton. The night was cold, but clear. Houses grew dim, with the sound of people falling gently to sleep. While the bar behind her, grew more and more rowdy with each and every new patron. But here Susie was, sitting outside, with a single beer dangling between her finger tips over a long drop. She felt horrible. Her eyes were still puffy from all the crying she had done, after James had spoken to her so harshly. She felt like she had betrayed James, but also felt like she wanted to punch him in his face for how he spoke to her. It wasn't like she knew he hated the Brotherhood so much. She had seen a side to him today she never wanted to see again. What did she even see in him? Did she expect him to be some kind of white knight to whisk her away to a happily ever after? Was she that naïve? Maybe she was, but she still wasn't going to take being talked to in such a way. That spineless girl was left in the Vault with her father, and this was a new start for her. She was going to stand up to that asshole and tell him where to shove his advice. It was at this moment; Susie heard the sound of approaching footsteps behind her and turned around. James stood there, his nose bandaged, his eye bruised, and a look of pure guilt on his face.

"Hey…" He said apologetically, Susie turning away from him.

"I deserve the silent treatment…I know." He said, sitting down next to her. He was now wearing a black t-shirt that hugged his body, and a pair of jeans that he must have bought new or seldom wore.

"Look…I know I can't expect you to forgive me for the way I talked to you and Butch back there, but I want you to know I am sorry." James apologised, Susie turning her head away from him. Not even looking at him as he spoke.

"I understand if you hate me. I completely overreacted to you, but you have to know that they just want to use you for to unlock the research notes my father left." James continued, looking out into the night sky.

Her silence was perhaps more hard for him than any amount of hate filled responses she could give. He understood how she must have felt, though. If someone had spoken to him, like he had to her, they would either be dead or in a whole lot of pain right now, but he had to make sure she was okay. He didn't know why, but he was more concerned for her safety than he was for Butchs. Besides, Butch was a big boy, he could handle himself. Susie felt herself getting more and angrier as James went on. Did he think that this half-hearted apology was good enough for how he spoke to her?

"Susie, please say something. I am really sorry." He said, looking back towards her.

"Oh you're sorry? I guess that makes everything better than, doesn't it?" Susie said, paraphrasing what James had said to her earlier.

"I deserve that. Hell, I deserve worse. It's my fault your out here. It's my fault you're in this mess. And it's my fault your feeling as shitty as you do right now." James lamented, looking down at the bomb below. Susie was having none of his self-pity shit.

"Why are you apologising?" Susie asked, glaring over at him.

"You know, Wadsworth doesn't like just anybody right?" James started, looking out into nothing again. Susie just looked at him disbelief.

"I am not just saying this; he actually doesn't like many of the people I bring into my house." He continued, as looking back towards her.

"Shocker." Susie responded, taking a swig from her beer.

"Yeah, I know. But here's the thing, after the fight I went home to get some sleep, and he woke me up two hours later. He said someone was outside, and needed to talk to me." James explained, smiling to himself.

"Is this where I ask who was it?" Susie asked sarcastically.

"Actually, it was nobody. The second I left the house, Wadsworth slammed and locked the door behind me." James said, rubbing his head as Susie smirked a disobedient smirk at him.

"He said something like "Do not come back until you have apologised to that wonderful young lady", or something like that." James said, as he sighed to himself in defeat.

"So you're only apologising because you were told to, not because you want to?" Susie asked, feeling ready to punch him in his face.

"Do the two have to be mutually exclusive?" James asked, smiling at her.

"You're a fucking asshole, do you know that?" Susie said, pushing him away from her but to no avail.

"That's what people keep telling me. I think I need to get it printed on business cards, or something." James said, smiling to himself.

"What?" Susie asked, looking towards him.

"You know, give people a business card when I meet them. Maybe have something like 'James Cole Jr. The Professional Asshole' written on it." James explained, giving a sad smile towards her as he spoke.

"You can be so full of shit sometimes." Susie said, rolling her eyes at his comment.

Both of them remained silent for a moment, as the realisation of what was just said came over them.

"Oh my God. Did I just say that?" Susie asked in disbelief, putting her hand over her mouth and her eyes springing wide at the realisation.

"Yes you did." James said, as both of them began to laugh.

The laughter didn't last long, but it did grant them both a feeling of comfort as the two stared out into the night together in silence.

"I am sorry." He said a serious tone now in his voice.

"I know. You've said it a lot." Susie said, a smile creeping onto her face. Susie took another swig from her beer bottle, looking over at James.

"Do want some?" She offered, passing the half drank bottle of beer to him.

"Thanks." James said, accepting the beer and taking a small sip of it before handing it back.

"Look, if there's anything I can do to make up for the way I acted, just say." James stated, looking at her.

It was at this moment, that Susie remembered Gobs story which informed her of the fact that James could sing and play a song on the guitar. Smiling to herself, she knew exactly what she wanted him to do for her.

"Anything?" She asked, leaning closer to him, causing him to move away a little.

"Um…sure..." James said, raising an eyebrow to Susie.

"Well, Gob told me about this time when you sang a song for the bar." Susie started looking towards James.

"Oh Jesus Christ…" James said, looking up to the sky and chuckling to himself.

"You know what I am going to ask, don't you." Susie said, smiling at him.

"You want to hear me sing the song?" James responded, rubbing his temple as a big smile crossed his face.

"Bingo." Susie responded, as James pulled the beer from her hand and drank the rest of it all in one gulp.

"HEY!" She shouted, as she watched him drink the entire bottle.

"Let's go." James said, as he got to his feet.

* * *

Following James back to his house, Susie was excited to hear him sing. It wasn't like she had fully forgiven him yet, but if it meant she could hear him sing it was worth it. Knocking on the door, James waited for his butler to answer the door.

"Sir, I will not open the door until I can verify that you have apologised to Miss Susie." Wadsworth said from behind the door.

"What about that whole, unable to register my commands shit?" James asked, still ramming his fist against the door.

"Was a harmless joke, sir." Wadsworth explained, clearly lying.

"Whatever, Susie's here now. We have made up." James said through the door, still very annoyed.

"I would need confirmation." Wadsworth said behind that door.

"He's still a jerk Wadsworth, but he apologised." Susie said, smirking at James as the door was unlocked.

"Oh sir, it appears the door is locked. I have taken the liberty of unlocking it for you. You must be more careful." Wadsworth said, as he opened the door.

"I hate him sometimes." James grumbled as he entered into his home.

Stepping inside of the house, James walked over to a safe he had in the floor, hidden under a rug. Pulling out three large bottles of whiskey, and putting them on the table, he ordered Wadsworth to bring him two glasses. He then told Wadsworth once he got the glasses, to erase the data of the location of this safe from his memory core. Telling Susie to grab a seat, he walked up the stairs and minutes later came back down with an old guitar.

"Wow. Your actually going to do this, aren't you?" Susie said, smiling as James poured whiskey into both glasses.

"Is it too late to back out?" James asked, handing her one.

"Yup." She said with a grin, sipping on the whiskey she was given.

"Oh, is sir going to entertain us with a song?" Wadsworth asked, joy in his tone.

"Wadsworth, go into shut down mode." James responded, drinking down his whiskey and pouring himself another glass.

"Right away sir. Perhaps I will dream of cybernetic barnyard animals." Wadsworth said, as he floated to the ground before going completely limp.

"Whatever." James said, analysing his guitar.

Downing a glass of whiskey, James proceeded to check the strings on his guitar. Susie nursed her whiskey, enjoying the smell but not the taste. Then again, she was new to drinking alcohol. That being said, she could still feel the effects of the booze on her. Taking another sip, she smiled at the man before her. She was of course; still pretty upset with him, but at the same time was excited to be sitting before James about to hear him sing.

"So…why do we need the whiskey?" Susie asked, looking over the very strong alcohol in her hand.

"Because, I am not going to sing unless I have a drink first." James said, as he took another drink of from his glass.

"It's the good stuff too. So be careful not to drink it all in one go." James said, as Susie watched him tune his guitar.

"Ready?" James asked, taking a deep breath and looking at Susie.

"Yes, go." Susie said, smiling a little drunkenly at James.

He began strumming the guitar strings slowly, but gradually picked up the pace. The melody was soothing and calm, as James opened his mouth to sing.

_**There are loved ones in the glory**_

_**Whose dear forms you often miss.**_

_**When you close your earthly story,**_

_**Will you join them in their bliss?**_

_**Will the circle be unbroken**_

_**By and by, by and by?**_

_**Is a better home awaiting**_

_**In the sky, in the sky?**_

Susie was amazed at the sound of his voice. It was just like Gob described it in his story, a voice that didn't seem like it belonged to James and yet was his. She drank down her whiskey, and poured herself another glass, as she listened.

_**In the joyous days of childhood**_

_**Oft they told of wondrous love**_

_**Pointed to the dying Saviour;**_

_**Now they dwell with Him above.**_

_**Will the circle be unbroken**_

_**By and by, by and by?**_

_**Is a better home awaiting**_

_**In the sky, in the sky?**_

James felt oddly calm as he sang the song, a feeling he had not felt for some time now. It was as if singing this song for someone else granted him a bit of closure. Or the whiskey was taking affect and he was just drunk. Either way, he was enjoying himself.

_**You remember songs of heaven**_

_**Which you sang with childish voice.**_

_**Do you love the hymns they taught you,**_

_**Or are songs of earth your choice?**_

_**Will the circle be unbroken**_

_**By and by, by and by?**_

_**Is a better home awaiting**_

_**In the sky, in the sky?**_

Susie would never had believed that James was capable of this kind of performance, had she not seen it with her own eyes. James had clearly practiced this song a lot, and Susie felt a warmth flow over her as she listened to him play.

_**You can picture happy gath'rings**_

_**Round the fireside long ago,**_

_**And you think of tearful partings**_

_**When they left you here below.**_

_**Will the circle be unbroken**_

_**By and by, by and by?**_

_**Is a better home awaiting**_

_**In the sky, in the sky?**_

James smiled at Susie as he continued to play the song. He would admit he was a little embarrassed at singing, having never had much confidence in his own voice. No matter what other people told him, he never really felt like he was as good as some people wanted him to believe. He began to grow very sad in his tone, as he sang the last verse.

_**One by one their seats were emptied.**_

_**One by one they went away.**_

_**Now the family is parted.**_

_**Will it be complete one day?**_

_**Will the circle be unbroken**_

_**By and by, by and by?**_

_**Is a better home awaiting**_

_**In the sky, in the sky?**_

Susie sat in astonishment, as she looked at him feeling something she had never felt before. James took a deep sigh, and picked up his glass to finish off his drink. Susie blushed as she stared at him, unsure of what to do now. She decided to finish her drink off as well, as James put down his guitar.

"Thank you. You have been a wonderful audience." James said pouring himself a new drink. Turning his attention to Susie, when he realised she had got to her feet.

"James…" Susie started, feeling a surge of confidence rushing over her as she stood before him. She didn't know what it was, but something was telling her to act now and to hell with the consequences. Something that warned her that if she didn't act now, she would lose her shot with him.

"Yeah?" James asked smiling, before Susie took the glass from his hand and downed it.

"HEY!" James started before Susie pressed her lips against his.

For the second time, Susie had gotten the jump on him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Susie straddled James. His beard pricked her face a little, and the crevices formed by the scars he had on his body were hard to miss, but she didn't care. She felt comfortable and sexy doing this. She was doing something she never thought she would have been able to do before, and feeling things she didn't know she could before tonight. Feelings she would be far too embarrassed to mention to anyone else, but herself. She and James were alone together, and she was ready to thank him for everything he had done for her. Letting her stay with him, apologising, and even introducing her to all the amazing people she had met over the last couple of days. Susie felt like she was in power, and yet vulnerable at the same time. Parting her lips from his, she rested her forehead onto his own and looked down towards him. Her red hair, which had always been tied back, was now loose and hanging by the side of her face. James looked up at her in silent awe, as he was at a loss for words. Susie knew that he had enjoyed this kiss, despite his lack of reactions. It was a feeling, she had.

"James…" she said in her best attempt at sounding sultry.

"I…I…"She stammered, as James continued to look up at her in a daze.

She ran her hands down his chest, across his toned chest and back up his broad shoulders. Both of them looking into the other's eyes. Two different shades of green looking back at each other. She began unbuttoning the top she had put on earlier that day. She was about to undo the third button, when two hands gripped her wrists to stop her.

"What are you doing?" Susie asked James, as he looked down towards his lap.

"You don't want this." James said, looking away from her.

"Yes. I do." Susie argued, not wanting to lose out on her opportunity.

"You're drunk." James stated, trying not to look up at Susie.

"So are you!" Susie responded.

"Not the point." James said, looking up at her.

"So what if I am? I want you, and I know you want me." She said an angry expression on her face.

"This would be a mistake." James argued, wishing his body hadn't betrayed him like it did.

"I don't care." Susie stated, tears flowing in her eyes clearly upset at the possibility of rejection.

"Okay…go upstairs and wait for me. I promise I will be up in a few minutes." James said, as Susie got up from his lap. She then ran up the stairs, into her room.

Susie waited in her room on the bed, nervous but ready. Even if she was drunk, she was positive she wanted this. She knew she wasn't his first, but damn it she was going to give it her awkward all. Her mind drifted away, with thoughts of the inappropriate events to come bouncing around her mind causing her to blush heavily. It was at this moment, that she noticed James in the doorway. Trying to look like one of the women from those old Holo-vids, and positioned herself in a more seductive way.

"Excuse me ma'am?" Wadsworth said from the doorway.

"Wadsworth!" Susie said, blushing in what she believed was the height of her embarrassment.

"Yes Miss Susie. I am so sorry to interrupt, but I am sorry to inform you the master has fallen asleep." Wadsworth explained melancholic in his tone.

"What?" Susie asked.

Susie drunkenly got off her bed and clumsily descended the stairs. It was true; laying in the same spot as he had been moments ago was James. His eyes closed, and his head hanging. Susie had to admit he looked kinda cute when he was sleeping, but she was still filled with disappointment at the fact he had done so. Walking over to him, she kissed him on the forehead and took the bottle of whiskey and what remained in it to her room. She had not said a single word, whether it was fear of waking James or just lack of words was unknown. As soon as the door to her room was closed, James opened her eyes. He didn't say a word for a moment, just to make sure she wasn't going to poke her head out.

"Thanks Wadsworth." James whispered, as he remained sitting for a moment. Running a hand over his temple where she had kissed him.

"You're welcome, sir. If I may, might I ask why you did not participate in coital relations with Miss Susie." Wadsworth asked, causing James to look at him with a form of bewilderment.

"First off, that's none of your business. Second, she's drunk. She doesn't really want me, she just thinks she does." James explained quietly, trying his hardest not alert Susie of his deception.

"I don't believe that to be true, sir. According to my scans, your heartbeat increased just as fast as hers did during that exchange of breath commonly referred to as kissing." Wadsworth explained, causing a hint of blush to return to James's face.

"Even if it isn't, I can't let her be with someone like me." James argued, trying to be as silent as he could be.

"Why is that sir?" Wadsworth asked, suppressing his volume level as best he could.

"Wadsworth, no matter how loyal you are to me, don't treat me like an idiot. I know what I am, and what I am is a killer." James explained, looking down into his hands at the invisible blood he knew was there.

"I think she deserves better." James said, raising his head towards his butler.

"I think she would disagree with you, sir." Wadsworth said, as James leaned back and looked to the ceiling.

"Well, she's stubborn that way I guess." James said, smiling to himself.

"Then that is a trait you too share in abundance." Wadsworth replied.

"Look, tomorrow I'm gonna act like I was too drunk to remember this happened tonight? It will save her some embarrassment." James explained, getting to his feet and silent stepping towards the stairs.

"Sir, I do not believe you are the monster you paint yourself to be at times." Wadsworth stated sadness in his tone for his master's despair.

"That makes one of us buddy." James said, smiling as he looked back towards Wadsworth.

* * *

_**A/N2: Well there you have a long chapter with a lot of things happening in it. So allow me to fill in a couple of holes. **_

_**1\. I have said that James had no idea who Sara was because she never took off her power armour. He also never knew she was a woman. **_

_**2\. James is so enraged, because as stated before he really hates the Brotherhood, granted not as much as the Enclave, but still pretty close. Basically anyone with Power Armour. Want to know why? Read the last chapter.**_

_**3\. The "war with me" speech is a speech I have had in the works for a while. James's reputation for creating carnage and taking down entire groups of mercs is a well documented are a lot of groups out there, that James is not on good terms with. Even the ones he is on good terms with dont like him very much. **_

_**4\. James's Glasses have been mentioned before in the story "Settlement of Ants", he doesnt really need them for anything but feels they make him look smarter. **_

_**5\. James's fan's story is one of those moments James barely cheated death. In fact, as stated in Homeward Bound, James has a history of Fluke like luck where he either almost dies or is almost killed as a result of a fluke or mistake. In Game, James's luck would be a solid 5. While he has cheated death so many times, he has also lost his arm been shot, and tortured on his journey. Plus the grenade in the mouth of the behemoth felt right.**_

_**6\. The reason Sara doesnt fight in her power armour is hinted at in the last chapter, when we hear about James fighting off members of the Lyons Pride bare handed. If you have played Fallout 4, you also know that movement in power armour is rather slow. So, rather than give james any more of an advantage than he already had (metal arm), she decided to fight him without it. Which brings me to my next point.**_

_**7\. This is one of the most difficult fight scenes I have ever written, and yet I am very proud of it. I had to keep in mind that these were two very different fighters, facing off against each other. The two different fighters coming to blows was a lot of fun to write, but also very difficult. I had to keep asking myself, is this what James/Sara would do in a fight considering their background in combat. Which is much easier said than done. However, I felt I described them in a way that showed they were both evenly matched. Which brings me to my next point. **_

_**8\. Wadsworths point about James's condition explains his mood, and some of his anger. However, this doesnt mean that he would have beaten Sara in their fight. A rule(in my books) of the wasteland is that on your worst day, if you pick a fight, you better be ready to win or lose. Would it have made a difference if he was 100%, probably. But if he decided to face off against a group of raiders on a day where he was sick as a dog, would the fact he was sick change the fact he was killed by raiders? James made proposed the fight, and knew there was a possibility he would win or lose. Like he does with every day he goes into the wasteland. He was ready to live with the consequences. **_

_**9\. James's outburst is his reaction to not only finding out Susie invited the Brotherhood into his house, but was digging up his skeletons. His reaction is rather extreme yes, but keep in mind, while it makes for good story telling it is an invasion into his personal life. Plus having just gotten his nose broken and kicked in the nuts probably didnt help his mood. **_

_**10\. Sara sitting in the same spot she stood her first night in megaton was something I always had planned. Mostly because I always liked the view from outside the bar. Its also in a way similar to that night, as Susie has been crying and someone comes up to try and comfort her (First chapter it was Nova, this chapter its James.)**_

_**11\. The "Your full of shit" comment was actually a happy accident I came across when reading over it. And rather than change it, I decided to make it part of the conversation. Why did I do this? Well to be perfectly honest, I found the comment to be so funny (I know real mature) that I couldnt bare to get rid of it. Also, I wanted to write a reaction to both James and Susie realising what had just been said. **_

_**12\. The Wadsworth locking James out scene was supposed to be included in this story, but I didnt like how it came out. It was sloppy, and rather annoying when I read over it. It would have required a half asleep James to recall word for word what was said to him. Which I just found unrealistic. **_

_**13\. The Secret Stash is found, and why Wadsworth doesnt know where it is is explained. Yippie for secret booze.**_

_**14\. The song he sings is "Will the Circle be Unbroken". While writing chapter 9 i researched songs from before the 1950s, most notably anything related to Christianity. When I found the lyrics to this song, I was so happy at the amount of connections I made from the lyrics to the story I am writing. Most of the lyrics can in fact reflect James's own experience with his loved ones (his father). The song itself perfectly captures the Lone Wanderers journey in Fallout 3 in my own opinion. But maybe I am looking too much into it. **_

_**15\. The Kiss thats been coming for a long ass time. I hope it was well worth the wait. **_

_**16\. Susie being drunk was literally the only way I saw to allow her to act on her desires this early in the stage (or this late in some cases). She is something of a Wallflower at this stage and lacks the confidence to act on her emotions. **_

_**17\. James's view on himself is something negative as a result of all he has done. In fact, during the Kiss scene, James is torn between wanting to continue where this is heading and stopping Susie from making a mistake that he believes will ultimately hurt her or worse. James doesnt believe he deserves happiness. If you look back during the stories, you will find that James is good at antagonizing people, and fighting (or killing).**_

_**So thanks to everyone who read my story and showed interest, as always PM me with any questions you have about the story and remember to review so I know you enjoyed the story. Right now, I am modding my Fallout Games (One mod I intend to make is to bring James to the game as a playable race Robotic hand, scars and all, but lets see how that goes before I release any images). So busy time ahead of me. Yay. See you guys in the next chapter. **_


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Better late than never right. Thanks for all your patience. Remember to R&amp;R, I will be adding a larger note later.**

* * *

Susie woke up to a splitting headache, as well as a horrible taste in her mouth. She was still in the same clothes she had worn the night before, and now stank of sweat. Her nostrils stung with the stench, but she concentrated more on the throbbing pain in her skull. Susie groaned in pain, as she buried her head into her knees. She then tilted her head to the side and saw the cause of her pain, an empty whiskey bottle. A sense of shame came over, as she looked into the empty bottle. She hoped the images fluttering through her mind were mere dreams and not reality, as she got up clumsily to her feet. Grabbing some clothes and almost tripping, she staggered out of her room to the bathroom so she could hopefully shower the stench away. The water was very cold, and caused her to yelp a little in shock as it hit her naked skin. Her mind began to register some things now. Like the fact Wadsworth had not come in to greet her like he had done every other morning. Drying off and getting dressed; Susie decided to go down stairs for some breakfast. If the cold shower wasn't going to do cure the splitting headache, than maybe food will.

"51!" A strained grunt could be heard from the level below, as Susie came down the stairs.

To Susie's surprise, a shirtless one armed James was doing push-ups in the middle of the room. His mechanical arm was on a chair to his left, leaving James with a disgusting looking nub where his arm used to be. It was clear to Susie that James was counting each push up he did, but she was utterly distracted by his scarred torso and its collection of different scars both old and new.

"52!" James grunted, as he pushed his body up from the ground.

At this moment, Wadsworth came into view carrying a plate of what could be loosely referred to as food, towards the table before seeing Susie. Susie waved at him from the stairs, and now noticed Butch inhaling food at the table.

"53" James grunted completing another push up, as sweat dropped from his body.

"Um…sir." Wadsworth began, trying to bring attention to the young lady watching his master exercise.

"NOT NOW WADSWORTH! I'm almost done." James barked at his butler, determined to break his old record.

"54!" James said his arm shaking as he pushed his body up again.

"55!" James shouted before falling to the ground, and breathing heavily.

Dogmeat came into sight and began licking his exhausted master's sweaty face, much to James's displeasure. Raising his arm weakly, James pushed Dogmeats head away from his body. Dogmeat whined, before he returned to his bowel to finish his breakfast away from his master. James groaned, as rolled onto his back and looked up towards the sky.

"55….new record." James gasped, as a stupid smile crossed his face.

"Yes sir, the amount of one arm pushed ups while hangover has increased to 55. Bravo." Wadsworth said.

"Thanks….now what….did you want…to tell me?" James asked, taking long breaths during his sentence.

"Miss Susie appears to desire a word with you." Wadsworth pointed out to his exhausted master.

"Morning James…" Susie said timidly.

"Hey…I'd get up…but I am kind of…well let's just say I'm fucked." James said, taking deep gasps of breath throughout his sentence. Clearly a sign of his exhaustion, and perhaps proof he should cut down on smoking.

"The master has been exercising since he woke up, and appears to have finally come to the conclusion that doing so results in muscle pain and exhaustion." Wadsworth explained, as Susie looked down at the half naked man.

Susie couldn't help but laugh at James, who seemed so intimidating in his usual state, but now appeared as helpless as a child in his exhausted state. She was curious though, as to why he had removed his mechanical arm to exercise, and expose the disgusting looking nub that was once his arm.

"Sir, are you going to lay on your back all day, or are you actually going to get up and do something." Wadsworth asked, looking down at his master.

"I'm hangover…" James groaned, covering his face with his arm.

"And had we not company, I would allow you to lay around all day to your heart's content. However you are being a very poor host to Miss Susie." Wadsworth pointed out, much to Susie's embarrassment. After all, she didn't want to be a bad guest.

"What about me?!" Butch asked, his mouth partially stuffed with food.

"Mr Butch, my concern over what appeases you is further down my list than neutering my master's dog." Wadsworth answered his tone very serious as he spoke.

"Fuck you robot." Butch barked.

"For once, you're right Butch. No way are you neutering my dog, Wadsworth." James said,defending his dogs testicles.

"Well sir, if you wish to stop me, I suggest you get off your bottom, put on your arm, and allow me to get you something to eat." Wadsworth threatened, causing James to sit up from the floor.

"Okay…I'm up." James said as he got to his feet slowly.

Walking over to a medical kit suspended on the wall, James pulled out 3 small needles. Removing the caps with his teeth, he proceeded to inject each needle into his nub, grunting as he injected each needle. Picking up his arm, he quickly inserted it onto the nub, before letting out a pained grunt and falling to his knees. Susie rushed to his side, hoping he was okay. However, within seconds James was back to his feet as if nothing had happened.

"Something wrong?" James asked, looking over at his house guests.

"What's that about?" Butch asked, curious as to what the hell he had just seen.

"What?" James asked, raising an eyebrow towards Butch.

"The whole…arm thing." Butch asked, staring at the mechanical arm.

"Oh…that. I removed my arm so I could work out. It's actually pretty damn heavy…" James started, looking down at the arm.

"..Plus it's nice to take it off now and again. Feel the air on what's left of my arm." James finished a sense of sadness in his tone as he opened and closed the cold metal hand.

"So…why did you need to inject yourself with that stuff?" Butch asked.

"The Med-x?" James answered, revealing the name of the drug to those who were ignorant of its identity.

"Yeah." Butch responded.

"This thing connects to my central nervous system, but it's still an outsider trying to get into my body. So, it's essentially attacking my nervous system in an attempt to bond with it, and can be rejected pretty damn easily. It's a new set of nerves trying to attach to a place where the nerves were severed, so it sends the whole body into a sort of panic on whether to reject it or not." James explained his tone now cold and collected as he spoke about his arm.

"Okay…" Butch said, still not sure what any of this meant.

"So, I load up on Med-X to numb my nervous system just enough so the body doesn't go into complete panic when the electronic nerves try to attach to the organic nerves." James finished, looking towards Butch hoping this had answered his question.

"What would happen if you didn't use the Med-X?" Susie asked, stepping away from James for a moment.

"Body would go into shock, and I would probably die." James said matter of fact like.

"Oh…how do you live like that? Knowing your dependent on something that could kill you?" Susie asked, her eyes locked on the shining metal appendage.

"How do you ask me such a personal question?" James asked, causing Susie to blush in embarrassment.

"It's not like I'm not used to it. I mean, including my arm, I think I'm made up of…29% metal?" James admitted a weak smile on his face.

"32% sir. If we are including shrapnel, then it's a 33.7.2%." Wadsworth corrected James.

"Thanks, Wadsworth." James thanked, bitterness in his tone.

"Besides your arm…where else?" Susie asked, now curious as to just how much of James's original body was left.

"I got some metal in my spine, from a run in with a mutant behemoth." James confessed, a sad smile crossing his face as he raised his hand behind his back and pointed his thumb towards a large scar running up his spine.

"I believe it was a, Mister Charon, who you have to thank for getting you to Doctor Pinkerton for that spinal surgery. Were it not for him, you would certainly not be alive today." Wadsworth stated, recalling the days following the surgery and James's rotten attitude that came with lack of heavy pain medication.

"Yeah…I owe Charon a lot for that." James said, a genuine smile now masking his face.

"Was that before or after your arm?" Butch asked, much to the displeasure of Wadsworth. Or at least, Susie assumed Wadsworth was displeased with his comment. She knew she wanted to hit him.

"Before." James said, shooting Butch a look of annoyance.

"I'm starving. You hungry Susie?" James said, patting his toned stomach.

"A little." Susie admitted, trying not to stare at him.

"Okay. Wadsworth cook something up for me and Susie. I'm going to take a shower and get dressed. I stink." James chuckled, walking towards the stairs.

"Of course sir, I shall have it ready before you return." Wadsworth promised.

* * *

Susie sat down at the table, letting out a tired stretch as she yawned. She turned her head to Dogmeat, who she was convinced was looking at her while he ate. She still had the suspicion that the canine didn't like her very much, but also didn't want to appear paranoid if she brought it up and was proven false. Turning away from the dog, she looked towards Butch whom had probably come back after she had fallen asleep last night.

"It's really gross, huh? Do you think he takes it off before he showers?" Butch asked, as he swallowed his food.

"What?" Susie asked blushing; hoping her suspicion of Dogmeat wasn't that obvious.

"His arm or what's left of it. It's pretty creepy huh?" Butch asked, smiling as he finished the food on his plate.

Susie was speechless, she felt like the entire room was now concentrating on her, waiting for her answer. She felt like there was no real way to answer the question. She didn't want to lie about what was clearly an ugly scar, but didn't want to state just how much she disliked its appearance. She felt she was backed into a corner.

"You truly are one of the most insolent house guests I have ever had to entertain for more than a day." Wadsworth barked disgust in his voice as well as anger.

"What do you mean by that?" Butch asked, glaring at the robotic butler.

"It means, I find your distasteful opinion on my master's amputated arm to be very rude." Wadsworth said, sounding more aggressive than Susie had ever heard him.

"My master was unconscious for days after he lost his arm. The pain was so severe, and he had lost a rather unhealthy dose of blood, and had closed the wound by burning it. I was unsure whether or not he would survive." Wadsworth explained, Susie imagining the pain James must have gone through closing the wound.

"I can still recall the day he came home, gripping his blood soaked sleeve and barely able to stand up straight." Wadsworth continued to paint the picture of a wounded James, much to everyone's displeasure.

"Okay…" Butch said, hoping to whoever was listening that this conversation would stop now.

"After which he became heavily depressed-"

"What did that to his arm?" Susie interrupted, believing that James would not want people to hear about this side of him.

"An ursine like creature, referred to as a Yao guai by the general public." Wadsworth explained, his tone changing from one of anger to one that a stern teacher might have as he explained something to a student.

"A what?" Butch asked.

"A bear, you uneducated fool." Wadsworth shouted, now sounding like he was ready to kill Butch.

"Not just any bear. A big pissed off son of a bitch." James's voice shouted from the second floor railing, as he looked down at his guests. Dogmeat whined as he looked up at his master, sensing something was wrong.

"Not you boy." James laughed, as he came down the stairs in a simple shirt and pants.

"Sir, I must apologise for discussing your personal business with our guests." Wadsworth apologised.

"It's fine Wadsworth." James said, as he noticed Butch and Susie staring at his metallic arm.

"Stop staring. Seriously, it's creepy." James said, feeling very self-conscious of it now.

"So, this bear just ripped off your arm?" Butch asked, as James ran his flesh hand over his metal arm.

"Well what was left of it anyway? I had a run in with some assholes a few hours before hand, and the big bastard just finished it off." James admitted, a false smile coming over his face.

"How'd you survive?" Susie asked, feeling like she was stepping over a line.

"Honestly? I have no idea. A shit load of med-x? Some last minute stimpacks? Or dumb luck. In any case afterwards I made my way home. " James weakly joked, gripping his shoulder and his twisting in pain as he smiled.

"Wait…what happened to the bear?" Butch asked.

"How's about you shut the fuck up, Butch? Huh? Why don't you ask me how bigs my dick next? I killed the fucker!" James shouted, slamming his fist down on the table.

"HE TOOK MY FUCKING ARM! I wasn't going to get away from him, and wasn't going to let him get away from me!" James barked, glaring at Butch.

"Okay. Shit. I'm sorry." Butch apologized, as James hung his head.

"Just…drop it okay." James said, staring into the table.

"I just don't want to talk about that day anymore." James said, realising that he was not ready to discuss this topic yet.

"It's perfectly alright sir. Now please enjoy your meal." Wadsworth said, as James sat down at the table.

* * *

Once he had finished his meal, James let out a groan as he stretched his arms up towards the ceiling. Then pulling the plate from the table, he lowered it down to the ground and called over Dogmeat. The affectionate dog moved over to the plate, and proceeded to lick it clean.

"Sir, that is incredibly unhygienic." Wadsworth pointed out, as the room remained silent.

"Yeah, so is using hundred year old medicine." James said, getting up from the table and marching over to an old locker.

"I'm going out." James said, as he pulled a shotgun from the locker and a small satchel.

"Where to sir?" Wadsworth asked, as Susie got up from her chair.

"We're out of med-x; I'm heading to the Super Duper Mart to pick up some more." James said, trying to mask the fact he wanted to relieve some stress by killing something.

"I'm coming too." Susie said, her voice carrying more confidence than she expected.

"No chance." James responded, glaring at Susie now as he filled his pockets with ammo and grabbing a knife.

Susie felt rejected. She wasn't going out there to kill something, but also didn't want to be left waiting for another few days for James's return. She didn't want to spend her days locked up in a house all her life; otherwise what was the point in leaving the vault.

"I wasn't asking." Susie said, trying to put on her best Jericho impersonation.

James didn't want to argue with anyone else, he already felt like an asshole for flipping his lid at Butch. He also didn't want to put anyone in danger, especially not Susie. He was still unsure of how he really felt about her, but knew that he didn't want her to get hurt.

"Fine…" James grumbled, marching towards the door.

Susie felt a surge of excitement as she followed him out of the house, and then out of the city into the wild wasteland.

* * *

They had walked for a while in silence, as James gripped his shotgun tightly. If he had learned nothing else from his time in this harsh wasteland, it was that to always be on guard. Susie on the other hand, had come with him foolishly without any form of weapon. The weather was hot, and she felt sticky with sweat as she walked behind him. She found herself asking herself what she had gotten into. Eventually, they came to a large building with the words "Super Duper Mart" above its entrance. Finally, Susie broke the silence that was between them.

"So, why do you come here for med-x?" She asked looking at the wreckage surrounding the parking lot.

"There's a good supply of it, and it's free." James confessed, as he walked towards the entrance.

"You coming?" James asked, as he opened the door to the ruined store.

"Yeah." Susie said, following him inside.

"There's a pharmacy in here. It has all kinds of drugs, but specifically it has a large supply of med-x." James said, leading Susie through the dimly lit ruins of what was once a supermarket.

"Really?" Susie said, before letting out a horrified gasp.

Suspended from the ceiling were hanging corpses, dismembered of their limbs and drained of their blood. The hung from hooks, some of which had multiple hooks protruding from their bodies. It was like something from that old Holo-movie horror series "Demon Riser". Susie hated horror movies, and this looked like it was pulled straight from one. She swallowed the vomit she felt rising up her throat, knowing that if she got sick now it would be the last time James brought her anywhere.

"Sorry, I forgot about them." James apologized, as he looked up at the dangling corpses.

"What happened to them?" Susie asked, feeling more fear than she had ever felt before in her life.

"Raiders." James said hatred in his voice.

"Fucking animals. They don't care who or what you are, they just want to kill you. They do nothing but kill rape and steal. Sometimes in that order." James explained hatred still in his voice.

"If you see one, kill it on sight." James warned, as he walked towards a counter.

"Okay." Susie said, trembling as she walked around the graveyard of a market. What made her more uneasy was the fact that Jericho was one of these monsters, and yet James and he were so close. What did that mean about James?

There was something else though, something that made her feel like she was being watched. James leapt over a counter into what Susie assumed was the pharmacy, and began searching the cabinets for med-x.

"What if the Raiders come back, James?" Susie asked, feeling like something was watching her every movement.

"I killed them all a long time ago, so don't worry about that." James said, smiling to himself as he found a small supply of med-x.

"Found some!" James smiled, as Susie let out a sigh of relief at the fact they could leave now.

Suddenly, Susie felt something whizzing past her ear before it hit James and knocked him to the ground. She recognised the sound almost instantly as a gunshot, and rushed over across the counter to James. Somebody else was in the building, and they had just fired a shot at James. Behind the counter, James was gripping his shoulder in pain.

"Son of a bitch!" James groaned, as Susie got to her knees before James.

"Grab a fucking stimpack." James said, pointing towards the med-kit.

She could hear the laughter of the approaching raiders as she crawled over to the med-pack, she couldn't count how many voices she heard, but knew there was more than one. Opening the kit, she frantically searched for a stimpack, rummaging through the contents before she finally found one. Throwing it over to James, James put it to his side while he used his knife to rip the bullet out of the wound. Susie watched in awe, as he injected himself quickly with a loud grunt. The wound closed slowly, as James stood up slowly.

"Don't move…" James ordered, causing Susie to nod in agreement.

Loading the gun, James lifted his head over the counter to survey the area. He could see four raiders, but knowing his luck there was probably two or three more hiding. Taking a deep breath, he jumped over the counter-top and raced over to his nearest target. Was it reckless? Of course it was, but he didn't have time to come up with a plan. Once raiders saw a target, they were relentless in its pursuit and eventual kill. The Raiders saw James coming, and proceeded to fire awkwardly towards. A raider is a terrible shot despite how brutal their tactics are, this is partly due to the fact they are usually under the influence of several chems at once. Throw some jet into a group of raiders and watch as all but one race after and fight over that one piece of jet. The one that didn't was the guy who caught the Jet and had his throat slit as a result of being the first to grab the drug. However, something was different this time, because this group got the jump on James. Feeling another bullet zip past his ear, James ducked behind one of the stores shelves for cover. He felt his heart beat faster and faster, as he gripped the shotgun in his hands. Dipping out around the corner, James saw one of the raiders and instantly opened fire. The shot echoed throughout the store, revealing his exact location to the now dead raider's friends. James saw another Raider dart from around the corner, and straight into another blast from the shot gun. They knew exactly where he was now. Pulling out his knife, as he heard footsteps quickly approach him, James readied himself for a fight. Darting around the corner, James found himself running into a knife gut first. James grunted, as he looked into the man's yellow smile before plunging his own knife into the man's throat. James grunted as he pushed into his wound to stop the blood flow. James got careless, but he wasn't going to die by these sick bastards hands. Stepping out of the aisle, James breathed heavily as he gripped his stomach. He then heard Susie scream in fear, as she saw him struggle to walk towards her. James realised that this was an even worse turn of events, because now they weren't going to be after him, they were going for Susie. He could hear them rush towards their target, as Susie called out for James to come over to her for medical treatment. James saw two raiders rush towards Susie, and opened fire at the two of them. Missing one, James heard the other one groan in pain as the raiders chest blew open from the force of the shot. The other rammed leapt across the counter and James could hear Susie scream in terror. Feeling his adrenaline pump wildly, James rushed towards the counter. The door swung open, revealing the Raider using Susie as a human shield and smiling perversely.

"Hey there, lover boy." He said, shining the knife he had pressed to Susie's neck towards James.

"Let….Let her go!" James weakly said, his gasps of pain starting to grow more rapid.

Susie was terrified, looking at James gripping his stab wound. She felt useless. After all, if she hadn't have come with him, he could have taken these guys down by himself. Maybe if she had some skill in fighting she wouldn't be in this situation. She was just a liability. How could she hope to survive out here if the only thing she was good at was being a victim, or cowering in fear? She yelped as she felt the raider's dirty hand gripping her breast.

"Mmmm. Me and you are going to have a good time baby. Gonna fuck you up real good." He mocked, as he groped her body.

"I'm going to fucking kill you." James threatened, feeling weak from the blood loss.

"How you going to do that?" The Raider asked, as Susie felt what she hoped was a blade press against her ass.

"I'm gonna make you my little fuck pet." He whispered into Susie's ear, causing Susie tot feel like she was about to throw up.

"Know what that means?" He asked, still perversely groping Susie.

"Let her go!" James shouted, as he pulled the shotgun up and aimed it towards both Susie and the Raider.

"What you gonna do, Slick? Kill me and your girl?" He asked, as James kept the shotgun trained on the two of them.

"If I have to." James groaned, as Susie lowered her hand and felt the sharp blade of the knife hanging from a chain around the raider's belt.

"I love it when they go down talking shit." The Raider said, licking the side of Susie's face.

It was at this moment, something snapped in Susie. She pulled the blade from the belt and rammed it into the man's stomach. He grunted in pain, as Susie pushed away from him, but held onto the knife. Turning around instantly to face him, Susie tackled him down and began stabbing him repeatedly, as tears flowed from her eyes. She screamed and shouted with each time she drove the knife into the man's abdomen, cursing the sick freak for making her do this. She then felt a hand grip her shoulder, and ripping the knife out of the Raiders chest swung it towards the new target. A hand gripped her wrist, as the knife barely touched his skin. James stood over her, looking ashamed and gripping his stomach with his one free hand.

"Stop…" He said weakly.

"He's not dead yet! He deserves to fucking die!" Susie found herself saying, unsure if she was really the one talking or not.

"Let me do it!" James grunted, pulling Susie off of the man. Before Susie had a chance to object, James fired another shell into the man.

Susie was quiet, as James limped over to the medical kits and pulled out bandages and a stimpack. It was the last one from what he could see. Stabbing himself with a Stimpack, he groaned as he could feel the wound close while he wrapped his stomach in bandage. While it wasn't necessary to do this, it help he healing process and stopped regenerating flesh from getting infected. Susie gazed blankly into the wall, as she realised what had just happened. She had wanted to kill this raider, because she was scarred. She wasn't a murderer, but she was damn close to it. She still found herself crying, but didn't know why? She sat on the ground, now looking at the corpse of the Raider. Was this what it was going to come to? A corpse on the ground of some condemned building? She felt something tap the back of her head.

"Time to go." James said a stern tone in his voice.

Susie got to her feet slowly, but hung her head and looked down at her hands that still had blood on them as a result of her attack. She felt like she was going to get sick, and covered her mouth with her hand. It was too late that she realised her mistake, and pressed the bloodied hand against her mouth. She couldn't take any more and vomited onto the floor, as James walked towards the exit.

"Come on. We are not going to make it back before nightfall, and there's a place nearby we can stay for the night." James said, leaving the store with Susie close behind.

* * *

Once again, Susie found herself in a silence between the two as they walked towards a dilapidated old house. Ripping the boards off of the door, James kicked the door open and walked inside. He still had not said anything to her since they left the Super Duper Mart, but she didn't think he would talk to her now even if she said anything to him. The look in his eyes when he pulled her off that Raider said it all, that he didn't care anymore.

The inside of the house was old and dusty, and stank of rotting wood and spoilt food. James looked around each room on the first floor, while Susie sat on the couch still thinking about the attack. Each time she drove that knife into that man's chest, Susie felt something inside of her. Something that told her she was taking responsibility for someone else's life, and that this person deserved what was coming to them. She watched as James ran up the stairs. She could hear his foots pound on the floor above her, as she wiped the blood from her hands on the couch.

"I don't see any radroachs…" James called from the upstairs, as he came down holding a blanket.

"What's that for?" Susie asked, as she looked at the dirty old blanket in his hand.

"To keep us warm, what else?" James responded, throwing the blanket at Susie.

"Wrap up…" James said as he sat across the room from Susie.

They sat in silence, as James watched the door with a distinct stare. One that said he was ready to kill anything that came through the small wooden frame. Susie wrapped the blanket around her, but could only think of the look on that man's face while she stabbed him and his disgusting touch on her skin. She missed home. She missed the Vault. She missed her family. Yet, she felt like she had wronged James the most with her actions. Looking over at James who was now shirtless, she saw had just made a small fire in the centre of the room for light and warmth. He had taken off his top to relieve pressure around his wound, or so he said. She saw him smoking another one of those disgusting pre-war cigarettes while staring into door.

"James…" Susie said quietly.

"Yeah?" James responded, softly yet firm in tone.

"I'm sorry." Susie said, hoping this would make everything better again. She didn't regret defending herself, not by a long shot. She did however; regret being a burden to James. He had given her a place to stay, clothes, and food, and how did she repay him? By being something people can use against him.

"Shut up…" James responded, sounding very annoyed.

"But, I got in your way. If it wasn't for me…" Susie started, before James's head darted around towards her.

"If it wasn't for the fact you grabbed that fucks knife we'd both be dead." James said anger in his tone.

"Shit I should be thanking you." James said in a low tone, turning his attention back to the doorway.

"But…you seem so pissed at me." Susie responded, confusion in her tone.

"I'm pissed at myself. I should have paid closer attention. You should never have been in that position." James explained taking a deep drag of the cigarette.

"You killed him." Susie said meekly.

"Susie…In case you haven't noticed, or found out with your little investigation into my personal life, I have done a lot of horrible things in my time out here." James started, taking a deep drag of his cigarette.

"Like what?" Susie asked, hoping to get some information from James.

"You sure you can handle it?" James asked.

"Yes." Susie responded, feeling a little intimidated.

"Okay…this is the story about a place called Andale." James started, feeling nervous about telling her this.

"So…what's Andale?" Susie asked curiosity in her tone.

"Friendliest little town in Virginia." James responded, distaste in his tone.

* * *

_James held his bullet wound, as he staggered through the wasteland and the suns hot blaze. Combat armour had been a terrible choice of attire for today, but had he not been wearing it, the raider who jumped him would have succeeded in his intended kill. He felt the sweat drip form his forehead, as he saw something in the distance. A small group of houses sat in the distance, and that meant the chance for survival. There had to be water there, or at least he hoped there was. Bolting towards the settlement, James found his second wind as he approached the settlement. James fell to his knees, as he arrived in the settlement. Believing that like the majority of places like this in the wasteland, the place was abandoned, James found himself feeling safe. However, once he heard the crunch of footsteps approach him, he pulled out his pistol and aimed it towards that of the stranger. _

"_Whoa there, son. No need to get violent." The man said, as James stared up at him. _

_Before James was a man in his thirties, who appeared to be unarmed. However, despite the lack of a weapon on his person, this did not mean that he was any less of a threat. For all James knew, the guy had a gun or blade hidden just waiting for the time to strike. _

"_What are you doing here?" James asked, keeping his pistol trained on the man. _

"_Why I live here, son." He responded, not seeming fazed by the fact a man was aiming a pistol at him. _

"_Where is here?" James asked, looking around at the houses surrounding him. _

"_Why you have found your way to Andale, friendliest little place in Virginia." The man answered, smiling at James. _

_It was at this moment James lowered his pistol, after all this wasn't the first time James met someone who was a little off. Besides, this man didn't seem like much of a threat. Getting to his feet, James holstered his pistol and looked at the man before him. _

"_See, now don't you feel better that you're not swinging around that gun at me?" He said, as James looked the man with unease. _

"_Honestly? No. But, don't take offense sir; I'm just a little on edge." James admitted, still feeling like he had to be on guard. _

"_Of course you are your hurt. Come with me, my wife will patch you up." He said, as James continued to look at the man with suspicion. _

"_Um…thanks. What's your name?" James asked. _

"_Jack Smith, son. Pleasure to meet you." Jack answered, smiling at James. _

_As he was lead into the house, James had the feeling that he was being watched. Entering the house, James saw what appeared to be a happy family dynamic. Despite how happy they appeared, and how helpful Mrs Smith was with patching James up. They even offered James a place to spend the night, which he gladly took._

* * *

_Later that day, James was having a beer with Jack and his neighbour Bill at the Wilsons house. They were talking about family, and how important it was to have a good family in times like these. _

"_What about you, James? Have a family of your own?" Bill asked._

"_It's been my dad and me for all my life, but besides him. I have none really." James confessed, as he took a drink from his bottle. Linda, Jacks wife, approached the table just in time to hear James say this. _

"_Big, strong, handsome boy like you? I can't believe it." Linda smiled as she handed the men another beer each. _

"_Uh-oh Jack, looks like you might have some competition." Bill joked, as James blushed in embarrassment. _

"_You better not be planning anything son." Jack smiled, as James blushed uncontrollably. _

_He had not experienced this kind of dynamic or friendliness in a long time. It was nice, and felt like home to him. He smiled and laughed, with the men before seeing a ball fly over the fence. Jacks son, Junior Smith, had kicked the ball so hard it went flying across the garden and into old man Harris's house. James being the Smiths guest, offered to go get it. He didn't care that these people were a little off, as it didn't change the fact they were some of the nicest people in the wasteland._

_Running towards the fence, James leapt over it and looked around the dead grassed garden for the ball. He spotted the ball almost instantly near the old barbecue pit and walked towards it. Upon picking it up, he heard a door open to his left and an old man step out of the doorway. _

"_Hello…" James said, as the man James assumed was old man Harris. _

"_If you know what's good for you, you'll get out as soon as you can. They're crazy! Crazy, I tell you!" He shouted, as he slammed the door on James without saying another word. _

_James shook his head, dismissing this crazy old man's ranting before returning to the Wilsons house with the ball. _

"_Hey kid." James smiled as he threw the ball towards Junior. _

"_Thanks mister." Junior smiled._

"_Hey wanna play?" The child asked, as James smiled down at him and looked towards the young Jenny Wilson. _

"_Why don't you play with your little friend over there?" James asked, pointing towards the young lady across the garden. _

"_She's not my friend…she's my cousin." Junior said, causing James to smile again. _

"_Oh….Kay. Why don't you want to play with her?" James asked, raising an eyebrow to the young child. _

"_Because she's smelly! And I wanna hear about all your adventures outside of boring ole Andale." Junior said excitement in his tone. _

"_Why don't you like it here?" James asked. _

"_My dad says I shouldn't want to leave, but I do. And my dad says that I'm gonna have to marry smelly ol' Jenny Wilson someday." Junior admitted, leaving James pretty speechless. _

"_Isn't that gross?!" He asked, as James still wasn't sure what to say. _

"_Hey there, Slugger. Why don't you leave our guest alone and come in for some grub." Jack said, as James_

_After dinner, James felt like he had to get the hell out of town. There was something off about this place, and felt like there was something watching him. However, before he got the chance to pack his things, he was knocked unconscious by some unknown assailant._

* * *

_James let out another pained grunt as the red hot steel pressed against his back; he shook in the chair he was tied too. She chuckled as she ran the knife under his flesh, and stripped off a small slice of his skin and flesh with the knife. These people, who hours prior he sat with for dinner, were now showing their true colours. James's pained grunts turned to laughter, as he looked at his captors. _

"_That all you got, pussies?" James shouted a pained smile on his face. _

"_Watch your mouth-" _

"_You better watch yours." James shouted, interrupting Jack as he glared at his host. Jack stepped closer to James, but instead of begging James spat in the face of his attacker. Angered, Jack slapped James hard across the face. _

"_Got anything else to say?" Jack asked. _

"_Yes. Your fucking freaks that love to play with your food!" James smiled, beginning to laugh in the face of his attacker. _

"_Language!" Jack said, as he walked towards his table of toys._

"_Great, I'm being called a potty mouth by a fucking cannibal!" James laughed as Jack stepped behind the chair. James shouted in pain as he felt something crack and slice off his finger. He held back pained tears, as he shook in the chair and took deep long breaths. _

"_Finger food." Jack said, chuckling to himself. _

"_Was that meant to be funny?" James asked, still in pain. _

"_What? No…" Jack said, ashamed of his bad joke. _

"_Who the fuck are you trying to impress by being funny?" James asked, now angry and curious as to the cannibal's actions. _

"_I am not trying to be funny." Jack protested, causing James to roll his eyes. _

"_Then why did you laugh?" James asked, seeing that he was frustrating the man. _

"_You're in no position to be insulting me" Jack insisted. _

"_Oh just fucking kill me!" James barked, hopping in his chair a little. _

"_What?" jack asked, shocked at his victim's response. _

"_Seriously, fucking kill me now. Ram that knife straight into my throat. Just fucking do it. Anything's better than listening to your attempts at jokes." James shouted, shaking in his chair towards the cannibal. _

"_Shut your darn mouth!" Jack shouted, smacking James across the face again this time drawing blood. James spat blood onto the ground, as he raised his head towards his assailant. _

"_Look…you got two choices. Kill me now. Or I'm going to get out and slaughter each and every damn one of you cannibals." James threatened, smiling at Jack as he spoke. _

"_Oh and how would you do that?" Jack asked, approaching James with a long sharp knife. _

"_Know why you shouldn't play with your food?" James asked looking up at his attacker. _

"_What do they say?" Jack asked, humouring the victim. _

"_Come closer." James said, beckoning the assailant to come closer. Jack leaned closer to James, moving his ear closer to James's head. _

"_Play with your food and you give it the opportunity to play back." James whispered, and quickly put his plan into action. _

_James quickly bit hard on the man's ear ripping it off as a result, spitting out what remained of the cannibals ear. The pain causing him to drop his knife and move away from James. Seeing his opportunity James flung him and the chair onto the ground and grabbed the knife. He began blindly cutting through the rope as quickly as he could, as the cannibal began to regain some of his composure. Seeing what James was doing, the cannibal ran over and grabbed a meat hook. He needed to kill James now, or he would get out. Breaking free, James rushed over to his attacker and rammed him into the wall. James was overcome with fury as he looked down at the bleeding nub where his finger used to be. James began to violently ramming his foot into the freaks stomach, only stopping once he saw the meat hook on the table. Smiling, James picked up the hook and looked down at the cannibal. He looked up at James in fear, as he realised what James was planning. _

"_Time to play." James said, ramming the hook into the man's stomach and ripping it across his torso. _

"_JACK!" James heard a woman scream from the entrance behind him, as he let go of the dead mans limp body._

"_YOU MURDERED HIM!" Linda screamed, as she pulled out a knife and ran towards James. _

_As she approached, James punched her hard knocking her down on the ground. Leaning down, James gripped the sides of her head and twisting it hard broke her neck. Breathing heavily, James got to his feet and waddled up the stairs. James didn't know if the kid knew, but was ready to kill anyone that got in his way. Creeping up to the spare room where he dropped his stuff off, James passed the child's room. Picking up what he left in his room, James limped to the boy's room and pulled out his gun. One bullet should do the job; after all it wasn't the first time he did something like this. He could hear that voice in his head again. The voice that called out to him every day since he left the pitt. _

"_Do it. Kill him." It said to James._

_Today, however, he couldn't go through with it. Cursing himself for even considering it, James limped out of the house and into an ambush._

* * *

"_So, should I assume you killed my brother?" Bill asked, holding a rifle in his hands. Behind him was his wife, who was holding a pistol. _

"_You fucks are sick!" James shouted, before being shot in his shoulder. _

"_Answer my question!" Bill barked, as James gripped his shoulder. _

"_Oh yeah, made him squeal like a pig." James answered, smiling at his attackers. _

"_Shame. Well you find yourself at an impasse then. You may leave alive, or as close to it as you are now and never speak about this place again. Or, you can die here now." Bill offered to a very bewildered James. _

"_You're gonna let me leave? Just like that?" James asked, holding his wounds. _

"_You have my word." Bill said, as James considered his options._

"_Deal." James agreed, limping away from the two. Much to the two's surprise James swung around and opened fire on the couple. _

_They returned fire just enough to wound James a second and third time before a deep breath, James decided to take his chances walking back to megaton. He needed a drink, a stimpack and a whole lot of downtime. One thing he was sure of was that his arm hurt like hell. To make matters worse, it was the peak hour for Yao guai hunting packs. There was no way he was that unlucky though._

* * *

James sat silently, as he finished the story and began staring at his metallic arm.

"You killed an entire town?" Susie asked, watching James take deep drags from the pre-war cigarette.

"Of cannibals." James argued, still looking at his fake arm.

"Still…" Susie responded.

"And I used to be such a merciful kind of guy too." James said pushing his hand into the floor.

"How many people have tried to kill you?" Susie asked, smiling.

"A lot." James admitted, looking away from Susie as he spoke.

"Funny thing is…I lost count of just how many people want me dead." James said as he finished his cigarette.

"Is that why you won't let anyone else but Jericho get close to you?" Susie asked, moving closer to James.

"No. That's not it." James admitted, looking over to Susie who was still wrapped in the blanket.

"So, why? Are you just happy being alone?" Susie asked, now becoming frustrated with his answers.

"Because, every person I get close to dies. And everyone I lose is always braver than I can ever hope to be. I just can't stand being around people braver than me anymore. Their people who are willing to die for a piece of shit like me." James said, looking off into the darkness as he spoke

"Sounds like you're just running away from your problems." Susie said, feeling less attracted to James as he spoke.

"I guess that's who I am then, the man who keeps running away…" James responded, smiling up at her.

"Because looking back at what Ive done is far too painful." James finished, running his hand along his scars.

"Sounds like it's because you're afraid of something. Or someone." Susie said, sitting beside James.

"No…I'm just ashamed. Ashamed of all the things I have done. I'm just tired. Tired of struggling to make the world better. Tired of losing everything and everyone that matters. But most of all tired of watching everything turn to shit." James admitted, leaning against the wall as Susie moved up beside him.

"You won't lose me…" Susie said quietly, smiling to herself as she sat so close to him.

"That's what everyone says…" James said, as Susi looked into the flames of the fire.

Throwing the blanket around James, Susie moved closer sharing the blanket with him. James felt the warmth of her body on his, and the feel of her arm against his side. He found himself blushing a little looking at her, and admiring how cute she looked in the fires light. He quickly turned his head away, as she moved her head to look at him. She had learned so much about him the last couple of days, and yet felt about as close to him now as she did when she arrived in Megaton. Brushing her loose red hair behind her ears, she felt his arm wrap around her pulling her closer to him. She couldn't help but to look up at him, his face a collection of small scars. She tried not to make it obvious, but couldn't turn away from it. Then their eyes met. Looking into each other's eyes, they found a peaceful silence between them. They were becoming lost in this moment of utter tranquillity, as Susie's heart felt like it was going to burst from her chest. James gulped, as Susie moved her face closer to his. Unable to hold it back any further, Susie kissed James softly on his lips. His beard pricked her face as she kissed him, tasting the bitter taste of nicotine. Pressing her hand against his chest, she felt his heartbeat race as she kissed him. Pushing him down on the ground, she straddled him. James looked up at her in awe, as she looked down at him with a confident smile. Her hands running down his body as the blanket ran down her back. His face was frozen as he looked up at her, surprise was there in his eyes but everything else asked what she was doing. Grabbing the sides of his head, she kissed him again wanting more of him and his approval as well. He lifted his hands up, and then rested them on her back as he pulled her closer into his embrace. Passion filled the air, as James and Susie embraced each other. Breaking free from James's arms, Susie looked down at James taking deep breaths. Each of them didn't say a word again, as they watched each other's chests rise and fall with each deep breath. Taking off her shirt, Susie ran her hand down James's chest with a smile before kissing him again. She had taken what she wanted, and felt like there was none on this planet that could take her new found confidence away.

* * *

Susie felt euphoric as James's hand curled and played with her hair. Sweat dripped from their bodies, as they held each other's naked bodies close to one another. Susie rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and feeling his breathing. She found herself counting the beats, as James continued to play with her hair. In this one moment, neither of them knew pain, heartache, sadness, or anger. In this moment, all they knew was bliss. A moment where neither had to say a word to each other, and lay in silence with the other.

"Birthmark Butt?" James said, causing Susie to smack his head for ruining the mood.

"OUCH!" James groaned, laughing as he stopped her hand from doing it again.

"Don't call me that!" Susie barked, trying to hit him with her free hand. James quickly grabbed the second hand and smiled as Susie struggled to break free from his grip.

"Let go!" Susie shouted, as she struggled against the chuckling James.

"If I do that, Birthmark Butt, you're just going to hit me again, right?" James laughed, smiling up at her.

"DAMN RIGHT I AM!" Susie shouted, still struggling.

"Nothing I can do to stop you?" James asked, smiling his defiant smile.

"NO!" Susie shouted, before James pressed his lips against hers silencing them both. James slowly let go of her hands as he kissed her.

Lost in his kiss, Susie decided to do the only thing she knew would hurt him for calling her that and teach him for using this against her. Gripping his hair she pulled it back, breaking the kiss.

"Ow! Ow! Okay. Stop." James grunted, feeling her pull his hair.

"Say you're sorry!" Susie smiled, as she pulled harder.

"Okay. Ow! I'm sorry." James said, as Susie let go of his hair. Pushing him back down on the ground, she pecked him on the lips and smiled down at him.

"James…" She smiled, looking up at his face as he looked down at hers. Her smile was wide and cheeky as she spoke.

"Yeah?" James responded, moving the hair covering her face behind her ear.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" Susie asked, blushing but curious as to the answer.

"No. I don't think you're pretty." James said causing Susie's face to drop from a smile to a frown.

"I think you're beautiful. From your hair, all the way down to your cute little Birthmark Butt." James's words and smile embarrassing Susie, and causing her to bury her head into her arms and fell gently to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: What a lovely ending. Anyone pick up on the information hinted at at the end of the Andale story? **


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: **_

_**Q: Where the hell have you been?**_

_**A: Work, writers block, school, and writing.**_

_**Q: Why is this chapter so short? **_

_**A: Because despite its length, this story tackles James's arm, his trauma, some information about the Pitt, James's fears, and something I have been hinting a for a while. **_

_**Q: What have you been hinting at?**_

_**A: I am not saying. Read and find out. **_

_**Remember to R&amp;R guys a longer not is at the bottom stating the status of this and my other stories. Hope you enjoy this.**_

* * *

**James limped through the unforgiving wasteland, cursing himself for being so careless, but also had to laugh at just how unlucky he was. Of all the people to have run into, he ran into a whole town full of cannibals. Megaton was just over the next hill, and for the first time in a while he was happy to see the old scrapheap. It was at this moment, that James heard a scream to his left and the growl of a creature he was certainly unprepared to fight. Turning around slowly, James saw the large Yao guai approaching him, a human leg in his mouth. It was larger than the average Yao guai and had suffered its fair share of battle from the looks of its body. A claw scar ran across its face, while its body was covered in bites and stab wounds. On its torso was a relatively new burn wound that James instantly recognized was done by a shishkebab. Behind it was the corpse of the man who was owner of the leg and victim of the beast.**

**"Whoa there now…" James said raising his hands to the beast in surrender.**

**It growled as it approached its prey, causing James to step back slowly. James's only hope was to get close enough to Megaton that Deputy Weld will come to his rescue. He was out of ammo, and didn't know if a knife would be enough to put this thing down. However, James had no chance to move further back before the beast was upon him. Blocking his face from its claws, James felt it pin him down and crush him under its weight. James screamed in pain as he felt that dagger like teeth drive into his arm.**

**"FUCK!" James shouted, punching the creature in the face over and over.**

**Shaking and pulling at its preys arm, the beastly Yao guai continued to bite and chomp on his victims arms. James felt his bones break as he screamed in pain, still trying to fight off the vicious beast. Feeling its hot breath on him, as James struggled to hold off the Yao guai. Suddenly the creature began to pull away from James, pulling the arm in its mouth with it. It was then that James saw a shishkebab to his far left, and knew it was his only chance to kill the Yao guai. Punching and kicking it as hard as he could, James tried to move closer to the weapon.**

**"You're going to have to choose between the arm, and your life." The voice in James's head said, much to James's own anger. He knew it was right.**

**Pulling away from the monster, James could feel the flesh on his arm tear. He screamed, as he gripped the hilt of his knife. Drawing it, he rammed the blade into the creature's eye. It was then that the adrenaline kicked in, as James broke free of the creature. Rushing over to the blade, James picked it up and turned to face his opponent. Then, to his horror, he saw his own arm in the maw of the beast. Feeling the blood drain from his face, and literally from his body, James looked to the bleeding spot where his arm used to be. Feeling anger rush through him, charged towards the beast. Screaming at the top his lungs, James rammed the blade into the monsters skull, killing it instantly. Pulling the blade from its head, James fell back to the ground still gripping the blade. Sitting up, James felt the pain slowly return to his body and let out another horrible scream.**

**"Your gonna have to close that wound…or you'll die." The voice mocked, reminding James of the increasing loss of blood.**

**"Yeah, but…how the fuck do I do that?" James asked the voice, feeling so tired now.**

**"You know how…burn it." The voice replied, giving the one answer James had hoped it wouldn't as he looked at the shiskabob.**

**Taking a deep breath, James ignited the blade and moved it closer to his wound. His breathing slowly becoming more and more rapid, as the blade approached the arm. He felt the heat as it got closer and closer. Before the blade met flesh, James pulled the blade away.**

**"COME ON. You were just getting to the good part!" James heard the voice shout, this time much louder.**

**Looking up, he saw something else standing before him. This being was far more frightening than that of the concept of death. Before him, was himself. But not the man he was, the man he used to be. Covered in blood and scars, James saw the man he once was.**

**"Look at you, pathetic and weak." James's nightmarish reflection spoke, his tone mocking and cruel.**

**"Is this what I have to look forward to? Weakness?" It said, kicking James in the stomach as it spoke. Grabbing the shiskabob, he lit it ablaze and pushed to the open wound. James let out a pained scream, as he felt the wound burn and close shut.**

**"Oh shut up. You've done this before. Stop being a little bitch." It said, pulling the blade away from the now closed wound.**

**"This can't be real!" James grunted, as he held his stomach.**

**"Maybe it is…maybe it isn't. Important thing is I am here." He said, as he danced around James's wounded body.**

**"Why are you here?" James barked, as his breathing grew intense while he questioned the phantom.**

**"That's the question on everyone's mind isn't it?" the phantom laughed, as it talked down to James.**

**"Why am I here?" It mocked, knocking James over with a boot to his face.**

**"See…here's the thing. Do you really think your allowed to be happy?" it asked, its wide smile a mirror of James's.**

**"Because they don't." It said, dancing to the left of him and pointing in the distance behind James.**

**Looking towards the direction of where the entity was pointing, James was horrified to see a large army of bloodied walking corpses. James didn't need to be told who they were; he knew exactly what they were. They were all of the people James had killed in his time out here in the wasteland.**

**"And I certainly don't. Why beg forgiveness for something you enjoy?" the phantom asked, sitting down on a rock before James.**

**"I don't enjoy killing! I am not like you!" James shouted, slightly recovering from his attackers' strikes.**

**"But that's the beauty of it all. I AM YOU!" it mocked, laughing aloud at James.**

**"You think you can forget about me? Forget about us? Forget about all the deaths we have caused?" it asked, looking out at the sea of shambling corpses.**

**"You bravely tried to fight me at first. Dear old dad would be proud, at how much you tried to make up for your mistakes. But all too soon this place had formed you into the thing you fear the most, a cold blooded killer." It rambled, taking a mock bow before his audience as James slowly got to his feet.**

**"I'm not you anymore!" James shouted, glaring at the monster before him.**

**"Oh yes. So you say. But you keep forgetting I know when you're lying. I can feel all the anger, all the hatred that you have inside you. Those same feelings of contempt, you try to mask as righteous judgement. I know everything you have tried to do to make up for all the wrong you did in the Pitt. All the pushing people away, all the lives you saved, and all the monsters you killed. To anyone else, the Lone wanderer is a man of great strength and moral fibre or a cold blooded unforgiving monster. Like one of those heroes from the old Holo-movies." It said, pausing as its tone become much darker.**

**"But if they looked behind that façade of yours, they would be so disappointed at what you really are. Behind all the brooding, heroics, and guns, you're just a child crying out for daddy and his approval…" It paused, looking towards James who was now wearing a furious expression.**

**"You know what; I would laugh at just how sad that was if it wasn't for the fact I would be laughing at myself." It said, smirking at James again.**

**"Actually. Fuck it. It's too god damn funny not to laugh!" It announced, before breaking into hysterical laugther.**

**James gripped his sleeve, only to find his robotic hand now in place of his wound. Knowing this was his only chance; James rushed towards his dark mirror and tackled him to the ground. The son of a bitch was still laughing as he hit the ground, but James wasn't about to let this mess with his head. Raising his fist and putting all of his strength behind it, he plunged it forward with the intention of driving the steel fist into its face. However, to James's shock, he found his darker self not only blocked his attack by grabbing it, but also was overpowering him. James felt it bend his metallic hand back into his wrist, bending the metal and crushing the circuitry. James shouted in pain, as his dark half stood up from the ground and continued his grip, glaring down into James's eyes.**

**"You truly are pathetic, do you know that?" It asked James, before finally releasing James's hand from its own iron grip.**

**"You continuously tell that story, of how you kept hope in the Pitt. How you triumphed where all others failed. But that was a lie wasn't it?" It asked, knowing full way James's answer.**

**"Sta….Stop." James begged, not wanting to relive any more of his pain.**

**"That's right it was. The truth is…DING DING DING! Correct. You gave up all hope in the Pitt, and let despair take hold of you. That iron will of yours gave up, and you knew the only way to survive was to become worse than any of those twisted bastards ever were." It mocked, dancing around James in sick enjoyment.**

**"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!" James barked, standing to his feet and gripping his fists in anger.**

**"Ooooh." It said, smirking at James in mockery. It was the first time James realized just how fucking infuriating his own defiant smile was when on the other side. Wouldn't stop him from doing it, but still put some things into perspective.**

**"Someone doesn't like to hear the truth…do they?" It asked, its tone now incredibly condescending.**

**"What's the matter JJ? Did I strike a nerve?" It asked, before James lunged towards the creep and quickly gripped the man's throat.**

**"Ack! So there's some fight in yam, after all. Good!" It chocked, still smiling at James as he squeezed the life from him.**

**"You're a fucking dead man!" James grunted, as he added pressure to his grip.**

**"That would fit you perfectly! Suicide is the coward's way out, and there's no bigger coward than you!" He gasped, still flashing that damn smile at James.**

**The man, no the monster before him lifted up his palm and struck James hard across the face.**

* * *

The slap was indeed real, but did not come from the evil phantom from his dreams. In fact, it came from the woman who just hours ago had held in his arms. She was now struggling to breath, as the mechanical hand gripped her slender neck. Releasing her immediately, James watched as Susie retreated across the room away from him.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" She shouted in horror, as James hung his head in shame. He had no answer for this, and he couldn't give her one if he tried.

They sat in a dead silence between each other. James staring down at the ground, while Susie kept her eyes locked on the man across from her. Despite her anger, she hoped he didn't mean to hurt her. After all, he was asleep. Wasn't he?

"I'm…sorry." James whimpered.

* * *

_**A/N: So this did take a long time to do and for such a short chapter too, I know this might feel like a bit of a cheat. So heres why this is late. All the issues I mentioned were true, dont get me wrong. But also I have like three other stories rising from this one alone. All int he works. This story will be en**__**ding in about two chapters, maybe 1 if i make 14 longer. The reason for this will be due to the progression of the main quest and overall a change of pace for me.**_

_**Megaton stories is one of the stories I had the most fun writing because I got to change perspective on James for almost every story. This time, we dont see James the hero, or James the killer. We see a man who is racked with guilt over his actions, and a hell of a dark side to boot. I have said from the start, that this wasnt going to be a Perfect hero story, and have made it very clear to both critics and characters in the story that James is fucking dangerous.**_

**_Somethings I should explain are:_**

**_1\. The actual bear attack is more like the scene from Revenant where Leo is mauled than what I described. However, this is a nightmare Scene and I took certain liberties in this case. This is how James remembers the bear, not how it actually looked. _**

**_2\. James did have to seal the wound with a flaming blade, and it did take place after his fight with the cannibals. However, he also lost a shit tonne more blood than just his arm. Once again, if you need a visual use the movie I mentioned above. _**

**_3\. The dark reflection is the side of James that he formed to survive, and its also a part of him he wants nothing to do with. As he said, James had to become worse than the slavers at the Pitt. Not better. _**

**_4\. The walking Corpses are not a reference to the walking dead, in case anyone was gonna call me out on that. I just really liked the image of the people James killed walking towards him. _**

_**I hope you left me a nice review and enjoyed this chapter. And I will see you guys later.**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N: Ladies and Gents, may I introduce the last chapter of Megaton Stories. It took longer than expected, but I feel pretty satisfied with how it all came together. It took a lot of research and planning to get each of the stories we have encountered together, as well as a whole lot of re-writes as a whole. The stories have painted a picture of who James was/is and what those around him think of him. There will be a larger authors note at the end of this, but right now I wanted to thank you all for staying with me and for all your support and brilliant reviews that remind me that I am doing a good job. So remember to Read and Review, and if your just discovering Megaton Stories now, may I recommend starting over from chapter 1, or better yet Homeward Bound? As the two are connected. So thanks again and remember to R&amp;R. **_

* * *

"And then what happened?" Nova asked, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"We came back…he didn't say a word to me after that." Susie admitted, as the two women listened attentively to her story.

"Not even an explanation?" Jenny Stahl asked, her tone surprised as she listened to Susie.

"No…" Susie admitted, causing Jenny to sigh in annoyance. Not at Susie but at one of her better costumers.

"Well…how was the sex then?" Nova asked, showing great interest in this subject as she shot back her whiskey fast.

"NOVA!" Jenny shouted, slamming the bottle onto the table in shock.

"Oh come on, don't act like you're not a little curious." Nova responded, wrestling the bottle awkwardly from Jenny's hands and topping up all the glasses on the counters.

"I can honestly say it's never crossed my mind." Jenny responded, lying of course, but not wanting Nova of all people to know that.

Susie had spent the last hour at the Brass Lantern, talking to Nova and Jenny about what had happened in that house. She needed to share with someone, but hadn't made that many friends since she came to town. At least, girlfriends that was. Butch wasn't much of an agony aunt, and Jericho probably would have found enjoyment in her distress. So, she decided that Jenny Stahl and Nova would have to do in the end, despite the fact one was a stranger and the other was something of a pervert. However despite their differences, the two seemed pretty close. The whole event just kept rolling around Susie's head, over and over.

"Uh! I don't know what to think anymore." Susie said, burying her head into her arms leaning on the counter.

"That good?" Nova smirked, sipping on her drink smiling at Susie widely.

"Nova!" Jenny shouted, removing the bottle from the counter and putting it under the counter.

"Can't blame a girl for being curious…" Nova responded, frowning for a second as she drank her drink, feeling like she may have gone too far.

"It was pretty great…" Susie admitted, blushing heavily to herself before the palm of a hand slapped her back.

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Nova shouted in celebration, as she finished off her drink fast.

"And I could have gone my whole life without knowing what he was like in the sack." Jenny admitted, nursing her drink slowly. Of course, that was a bit of a lie too.

"It was everything I wanted it to be…" Susie admitted, blushing even heavier now.

"Until the choking…" Jenny interrupted the comment, as she looked towards the young woman.

"Maybe he's into that." Nova stated her tone very matter of fact.

"Who the fuck is into choking someone?" Jenny asked, raising her voice a bit as she spoke.

"You would be surprised. I've run into a few guys who get off on it." Nova answered, smiling with pride for a moment before her face turned to disgust.

"On choking you!?" Susie asked, raising her voice in shock at how dangerous Nova's line of work was.

"Actually, more that likes it the other way around." Nova admitted, her finger drawing circles in the spilt booze on the counter.

"God damn it, Nova!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Hey, you asked about it." Nova responded, as the three began to laugh to themselves. The three were just tipsy enough, and friendly enough to enjoy the humour in the comment and the company of each other.

"Do you really think he gets off on it?" Susie asked, as the laughter died down.

"Honey, the guys not exactly stable." Nova stated, a frown now appearing on her face.

"I guess." Susie stated, as her mind drifted off.

* * *

"I DON'T GET OFF ON IT!" James shouted across his room at Jericho, his arm on the desk before him with its circuitry displayed before him.

James had come straight home after the incident with Susie. He was ashamed of himself, but also terrified at what had happened to his arm. Was his arm malfunctioning, or was he actually becoming that monster in his dreams. He doubted the latter, but it didn't change the fact that he felt it was a possibility. He had opened up his arms circuitry to see if he could find any answers in the hardware that would explain what happened. However, he believed he had made a bigger mistake telling Jericho about what had happened, as the first place the raider went was perverse over helpful.

"I'm just sayings, it wouldn't surprise me none." Jericho said, still laughing at James's distress. Picking up the screwdriver, James pointed it towards the old raider.

"Jericho, I will stab you in the dick." James threatened, glaring towards the still chuckling Raider.

"Whatever gets your rocks off, kid." Jericho laughed, before finally calming down.

"Fuck you." James barked, before hearing a voice over the radio beside him.

"What was that?" The voice asked.

"Pinkerton?" James asked, as the voice seemed to come in a bit more clearly.

"And who is that?" Pinkerton asked.

"It's me. James Cole." James said, hoping the old man had not gone senile yet.

"I know well who you are, ya dumb kid, I aint that old! I was talking about the person there with ya!" Pinkerton shouted, causing James to jump in his seat a little.

"Jericho." James answered.

"Oh heaven's sake, son. Is that miserable bastard still alive?" Pinkerton asked, causing James to laugh a little to himself while Jericho grumbled something to himself.

"Fuck you too, gramps!" Jericho shouted from the doorway.

"He's still alive." James answered, looking back towards Jericho with a smile.

"What do you want, son?" Pinkerton asked his tone now more annoyed than when he answered. Pinkerton was the man who had not only created James's arm, but also attached it, helped James learn to maintain and control it.

"It's my arm…" James started before hearing an annoyed sigh over the radio.

"For the love of, Kid, you barely survived attaching the first one, now you went and lost the other one. What is it this time? Held on to a grenade to long? I'm not made of robotic arms ya know?" Pinkerton ranted, under the belief that James had lost his last remaining arm.

"No, it's not that! It's about the one you attached! There's something wrong with it." James explained, trying to stop the ranting scientist before he went off on a tangent.

"Excuse me?" Pinkerton started.

"The robotic arm, it tried to kill someone when I was asleep. There must be some kind of problem with its programming or something." James explained, his robotic finger twitching as if it knew it was being talked about.

"Impossible." Pinkerton said his tone matter of fact and with utter certainty.

"What?" James asked, raising an eyebrow to the radio.

"Son, my programming is perfect. The circuitry is top of the line, considering the fact it was built out of scraps from the wasteland. It rivals that of the institute, to my knowledge. It is biomechanically linked to your nervous system, and therefore only follows the orders your mind gives it. If it is acting strangely, it is because you are telling it to and not because it's a fault in its programming." Pinkerton explained, his tone very condescending and mirroring that of a teacher correcting a student.

"Are you taking care of it? Keeping it maintained and all that?" Pinkerton asked, as James looked at the arm before him.

"Sure am." James lied, running his flesh hand over his beard and through his thick hair.

"Really? You're not putting it under severe pressure? Or doing anything stupid like drinking with it on are you?" Pinkerton asked, causing James to get a little nervous at some of the questions he was being asked.

"Absolutely not!" James responded, hearing Jericho chuckle to himself in the background.

"Because you know that any impairment to the motor functions can affect the arm as well." Pinkerton continued.

"It can become unresponsive, or act irrationally." Pinkerton finished.

"I know." James said, his robotic finger twitching again.

"Then you must also know when a patient says 'Absolutely not', nine times out of ten their lying." Pinkerton said his disapproving tone clear to everyone in the room.

"…." James had nothing to say to this, he was caught out after all.

"I'll leave you ladies alone. I'm gonna get a beer." Jericho said, leaving the room. His footsteps echoed as he walked out of the room, and down the stairs.

"Look, son. I'm not telling you how to live your life, but you have to know your limitations. When was the last time you took a week off? You know, have a couple of days where you're not injured, or getting shot at?" Pinkerton asked general concern in his tone as he spoke.

James grew silent. He didn't know how to respond to this question, besides telling the guy to go mind his own business. He couldn't do that, however, because Pinkerton had done so much for him. Besides, he wasn't mad at Pinkerton as much as he was mad at himself. Dethatching his arm, James sat in silence for what seemed like hours but was only seconds.

"James?" A familiar voice from across the radio said, snapping James out of his daze.

"James?" The voice repeated itself, causing James to look at the radio.

"Bryan? What are you doing there?" James said, raising an eyebrow to the receiver.

"I told him he could help me carry some stuff for me from the market one day, and he hasn't stopped bothering me since." Pinkerton answered, his tone one of an annoyed grandfather now.

"Yeah it's me. I'm Mister Pinkerton's assistant!" Bryan responded, joy in his voice as he spoke.

"He is not. He just won't stop coming down here!" Pinkerton interrupted, correcting Bryan.

"How are you holding up Bryan?" James asked, knowing that Pinkerton probably loved the company but didn't want to admit it.

"Great. I help my aunt out around the hotel every day, and people love to hear the stories about how I'm friends with you." Bryan responded, bringing a smile to James's face.

"All of them good I hope." James said smiling to himself.

"Of course." Bryan laughed as James smirked widely.

It was a long time since James had heard the child's voice, and hearing it brought a sense of joy to him. Despite all he had done wrong, he knew he made the right choice when it came to finding Bryan a home. They had travelled together for a month, searching for a place for the young man to live, and finally settled on Rivet city despite how dangerous the journey was going to be. In the end James decided on taking the boy through the dangerous ruins of DC to the only living relative he was aware the boy had in the wasteland.

"James?" Bryan started.

"Yeah?" James responded, looking at the radio once again.

"Are you going to be okay?" Bryan asked, showing concern for James.

James was unsure how to answer that question, as he didn't know the answer himself. What he did know however, was that he wasn't sure how much longer he could continue his crusade before breaking completely. Then again, what crusade was there anymore? He had made it clear that he wanted nothing to do with the brotherhood, but without them he couldn't complete his father's work. It was at this moment James realised something. He had wasted so much time trying to avoid helping the brotherhood, he didn't consider where the might go for answers if they couldn't find any of their own on Project Purity. They would go to Rivet City and look for Doctor Li's notes. Surely there was some kind of record on what her and his father had done all those years ago, and they would tear the place apart looking for any hint of an answer. Everyone in Rivet City would be in danger, and it would all be because of James's refusal to help what could be the lesser of two evils.

"I think so." James answered, as he attempted to make a decision in regards to Project purity.

* * *

Downstairs, Jericho and Butch sat in silence across from each other waiting for James to finish his call with Pinkerton. Jericho took a swig of his beer, before leaning his head back and taking a deep sigh. Dogmeat was enjoying the food his master had placed in his bowl upon his return, ignoring those around him.

"Hey…Bitch." Jericho said, addressing Butch.

"It's Butch." Butch said, scowling at the old Raider.

"I know what I said…you hear about the kid?" Jericho asked, flashing those yellow teeth of his at Butch in a grin.

"James?" Butch asked, verifying they were talking about the same person.

"Yeah…hear what happened between him and your little vaultie bitch?" Jericho asked, now smiling perversely at Butch.

"I don't think it's proper to talk about my masters business, mister Jericho." Wadsworth interjected, making his presence known to the two.

"Well, I don't give a shit what you think. You're just a fucking mop with a personality." Jericho responded, his glare of contempt.

"Look, I don't really want to know Jericho. It's none of my business." Butch said, not wanting to see a fight break out, but also not really wanting to know what happened.

"He fucked her, and then choked her." Jericho responded, revealing what he knew of the encounter to everyone in the room despite the objections of Butch.

"MISTER JERICHO!" Wadsworth barked, floating over to the raider who showed no remorse for his action. Dogmeat began growling at Jericho, raising his head from his food bowl. The canine was smarter than most people gave him credit for, being capable of finding various items for his master when James needed them.

"What you wanna take me on robot?!" Jericho barked, before Butch got up from his chair and ran up the stairs without saying a word.

"Wait! Is Susie okay?" Butch asked his tone full of concern.

"Yeah, the bitch is fine. He did it in his sleep." Jericho said, smiling.

"THAT BASTARD!" Butch shouted anger in his tone, his hands tightened into fists.

"It aint the kids fault…it's not like the kid decided to hurt your little friend." Jericho said, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it. He began to smoke, letting puffs of grey out of his mouth with each word he spoke.

"Oh that changes everything, doesn't it?!" Butch said sarcastically, glaring at the old raider as he jumped to his feet.

"Mister Butch, as much as I agree with your overall feelings towards the act my master has committed, it hurts me to say, I must agree with mister Jericho." Wadsworth explained, sounding more disgusted in his own admission than anything else.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, but it is also good men who do the most harm in the world. Sadly this truth is an absolute, and sadly my master has become a victim of his own actions." Wadsworth explained, much to the confusion of the men he was talking to.

"Wanna run that by me again, Robot?" Jericho asked, scratching his head as the door upstairs opened and closed. The room suddenly went quiet.

James descended the steps slowly, his expression dark but filled with purpose. Pulling out a cigarette from his pocket, his metal arm began shaking as he tried to get his lighter to work. Finally the flame lit brightly, illuminating his face and the end of the cigarette. Taking a deep drag, he looked at the individuals cluttering up his living room.

"By now…I'm guessing you know that I am a fucked up by now, Butch." James started, his eyes glazing over the faces of his guests.

"Pretty fucked up." Butch responded, getting to his feet and marching over to James.

"Good to know, we're on the same page." James smiled, blowing smoke into Butch's face.

"What you did to Susie…" Butch started, before being interrupted by James raising a single finger towards him indicating silence.

"Gonna stop you right there, Butch. We both know what I did. Better question is, what are you going to do about it?" James asked, taking another deep drag on his cigarette. Butch felt rage grow inside him, as James spoke.

"Your expression says you wanna hit me." James smirked, once again blowing smoke into Butch's face.

"That's it, isn't it? You wanna punch me." James laughed.

"Well go right ahead tough guy. Do it." James said, flicking his cigarette to the ground.

"Do it, tough guy." James repeated, shoving Butch's shoulder a bit.

"Come on, hit me." James continued, this time adding more force to his shove.

"HIT ME!" James shouted, before Butch finally snapped and punched James across the face.

James fell back to the ground hard, and slowly looked back up towards Butch. Butch, seeing what he had done and now instantly regretting it, quickly ran out of the room and the house. Getting up slowly, James ran his hand across his face and saw that Butch had actually drawn blood. Impressed, he sighed and looked towards Jericho and Wadsworth.

* * *

"The fuck are you two looking at?" James asked, walking over to his weapon locker.

"The fuck was that?" Jericho asked, watching James as he looked through the locker.

"What?" James asked, looking back towards the old Raider.

"The asshole act, only person it fooled here was Butch." Jericho laughed, as James shook his head and continued his search.

"Who says it was an act?" James grumbled, lifting a couple of different ammo clips from the locker and putting them into a backpack.

"Well either it was an act, or your more of a bitch than I ever gave you credit for." Jericho laughed his smile wide as he spoke.

At this moment, a knife whipped past his cheek and into the wall behind him. It had produced a small cut on Jericho's cheek, which trickled blood very slowly. It shocked him and stung a little, but Jericho's face swapped in seconds from a smile to a gasp and back to a smile again. James had missed on purpose; otherwise Jericho would have a combat knife stuck between his eyes right now. James was too close to his target, and too good a shot to have missed that by accident. Both men knew this for a fact.

"What was that supposed to do? Tickle?" Jericho asked, wiping the blood on his sleeve as James got to his feet. A duffle bag full with a collection of guns, ammo, explosives, and most likely a small amount of medicine, was thrown on the ground as James walked over to the wall his knife was stuck in.

"Jericho…can you promise me something?" James asked, as he pulled his knife from the wall.

"Depends on what it is…" Jericho started, as James looked at Wadsworth who had remained speechless throughout this interaction.

"Wadsworth…can you go upstairs and pack Butch and Susie's bags." James requested, smiling at his loyal butler.

"Sir, I hope you are not considering casting them out of this home." Wadsworth inquired, causing James to crack a smile at him.

"No. We're just going on a trip. So they're gonna need some extra clothes." James answered a smile still on his face as Wadsworth was inclined to do what he was asked. Without another word of question, Wadsworth floated up the stairs, and out of earshot.

"Look, I want you to go and gather Butch, Susie, and those brotherhood assholes. Tell them I want to talk to them in two hours, outside of Megaton." James explained, much to the displeasure forming on Jericho's face.

"Why the fuck can't you do it yourself?" Jericho barked, not wanting to play follow the leader with a bunch of brotherhood assholes and vaulties. If there was one thing he hated more than kids, it was doing someone a stupid favour for free.

"Because I got shit to pack." James responded, sheathing the knife into its tabard.

"What da fuck you planning, kid?" Jericho asked, eyeing the duffle bag sitting against the locker.

"Let me put it this way. If all goes to plan, we are gonna be seeing a whole lot of action in the coming days." James smirked wickedly, placing his hand on Jericho's shoulder.

Jericho's eyes darted to the young man's hand, now resting on the old raider's shoulder, before looking back at James. They had seen a whole lot of action together, and lived through things that ranged from a walk in the park, to hell and back. They had the scars to prove their stories, if the opportunity ever came up. The two had an unsaid level of respect for each other, as well as a friendship neither would admit to. Jericho was hard on the kid, that was clear, but he was hard because the kid needed to know the world wasn't going give him what he wanted just because he said please. The Capital Wasteland was a cruel and monstrous place filled with people out for themselves. For a while Jericho believed the only person he could trust was himself, but he soon learned that this was wrong. He had learned to trust James with his life, but he would be long dead before he would admit it.

"Jericho…" James started his hand still on Jericho's shoulder as he looked for the right words to say.

"If you're gonna fucking kiss me, I'm gonna rip off that metal arm of yours and beat the shit out of you with it, before ramming it up your ass." Jericho interrupted, glaring a James before turning his scowl into a wide grin.

"That's 50 caps extra." James responded, as the two men began to laugh.

"Cheaper than Nova, that's for sure." Jericho laughed, as James's hand slipped down his back and began slapping it hard. The two men laughed, wiping tears away from their eyes as the laughter began to die down.

"Look…if it means kicking some ass, and getting out of this shithole, I'll get the fucking vaulties and tin cans for you, but first I got to drop by my place and pick up some ammo." Jericho said a smile on his face as he spoke to James.

"Thanks Jericho." James said with gratitude, as Jericho pushed past him towards the door without saying a word. As he opened the door, Jericho stopped and remained still for a moment.

"Don't mention it." Jericho responded, before continuing his way out.

As James smiled at his leaving friend, he knew that if his plan worked Jericho was going to be very pissed off with him. He'd get over it though, James knew that much. James then went up the stairs, and had a shower, something he had not done yet and probably smelt as though he had lived in a sewer full of molerats. The water splashed down on him, and he recalled the day he fixed the pipeline for the town. It seemed so long ago now, like he was reading this man's story in a book and not recalling events in his own life. He had changed, there was no doubt about that, but he hoped it was for the better. Turning off the shower, James left the bathroom to get some clean clothes on.

* * *

A moment later, James arrived down the stairs to see Wadsworth with two packed bags, both of which were more than likely full of clothes and food. James knew food was inside at least one of them, as Dogmeat began sniffing and barking at the two bags. There was either food in one, or someone who wanted to kill James. Something told James it was the former, and not the latter.

"Why do you put up with me Wadsworth?" James asked, as he looked towards his robot butler.

"Young men with a mind for revenge need little encouragement, sir. They do however, need some form of guidance. I felt it was my duty as your butler, to offer you this guidance." Wadsworth explained, bringing a smile to his master's face.

"Also, I find that how much someone cares about you is directly linked to how much you can irritate them, sir." Wadsworth said his tone as dry as ever.

"You must love me." James smirked, turning towards Wadsworth.

"Anything else, sir?" Wadsworth asked his tone as cheery as ever.

"Two things." James said, smiling at his faithful butler.

"Oh then please tell me sir, I live to serve you." Wadsworth said, once again bringing the question of whether he was capable of sarcasm or not, to James's mind.

"I want you to give me a haircut, and a shave." James requested, running his cold metallic fingers along his prickly beard through his hair as he spoke.

"Excuse me sir…have my sensors deceive me or did you just request a haircut?" Wadsworth asked his tone this time noticeably sceptical. After all, Wadsworth had badgered his master for weeks to cut his hair or at least trim his beard before finally giving up. After all, James usually took care of his hair by either using a pair of scissors or at times a knife.

"Don't be such a smartass. You heard me." James smiled, as he sat down in a chair with dogmeat resting his head on his master's lap.

"It is my delight, sir." Wadsworth announced as a sheet was wrapped around James's neck, and then was tightened around the back covering James's body. Dogmeat groaned as he pulled his head out from under the sheet, only to place it right back on his master's lap and looking up at James.

"Not too tight!" James complained, feeling the sheet tight against his neck.

"I apologize sir." Wadsworth apologized, as he loosened the sheet a bit.

"It's fine. I gotta look good for the shit storm that's coming my way." James responded, smiling to himself.

"So, jumping into danger yet again?" Wadsworth asked concern in his monotone voice.

"You know me so well." James smirked, his hand rubbing the dog's head as he spoke.

"You are not planning to bring Mr Butch and Miss Susie with you on this dangerous outing are you?" Wadsworth asked.

"Don't worry. I'll keep them safe." James reassured, looking up at his trusting butler.

"With all due respect, sir, why is it I don't believe you?" Wadsworth asked, as James's face sunk into a frown.

"Probably because, you have better sense than I do?" James responded, his voice growing silent.

"That was always a given, sir." Wadsworth said, as he looked over his model and considered the different styles he could do with what he was given.

"So, is there a particular style my master would like? Or shall I just shave you bald? Maybe paint a target on the back of your head? It's all the rage among the suicidal, or so I hear." Wadsworth asked, once again proving his was as quick witted as ever.

"You're hilarious." James responded sarcastically.

"Look, just…I don't know make me look presentable." James answered the robot, as Dogmeat walked over to his bowl for a drink of water.

"I don't know if it's possible, sir, but I shall do my best, This I can assure you." Wadsworth explained, clearly taking another dig at his master's expense.

"Good enough." James responded, smiling as Wadsworth began cutting his hair.

After his butler had finished with his masters hair, he began sharpening his built in razor blade to begin his master's shave. Once finished with the blade, he began applying the shaving foam to James's face. It stung James's nostrils, the smell of the foam. Not that it was unpleasant; it had a sterile clean smell that reminded him of his time in his father's office in Vault 101. That was something James had not thought about in a long time, the good times he and his father had in the vault. He smiled as the razor blade hung over him, and began doing its work. Gliding over his face, shaving off the unwanted hair, and leaving his face smooth, while also revealing old scars forgotten in time to both the master and the butler.

"Do you remember the day I moved in, Wadsworth?" James asked, as the razor blade ran along his face slowly and precisely.

"As if it were yesterday, sir. You marched in, and after I introduced myself I found you had drawn mole rat excrement into the house and all over my lovely clean floor." Wadsworth recalled much to the amusement of his master.

"You were trying so hard not to get mad, it was hilarious." James chuckled, as Wadsworth paused his movement of the razor blade.

"Might I remind you of two things, sir? One that first impressions are of the most important, and two, you are currently mocking someone who has a rather sharp blade close to your neck. I believe there was a story about that, years ago." Wadsworth stated, before rambling on in his own way.

"There you go again; lecturing me like you did the day we met. I'd take away your vacation time, if you ever took a day off." James smiled, as Wadsworth continued to shave his master clean of his beard.

"Maybe I would stop lecturing, if you actually listened to me." Wadsworth commented, still concentrating on the work at hand.

"You got me there." James responded, smiling at his butler.

"What ever will I do with you, sir?" Wadsworth asked, giving the impression if he was capable of smiling he would have at this moment.

"I think I'm a lost cause. Probably be better off when I' m gone and you get a new master." James said, causing the robot to stop shaving his master. While Wadsworth knew that his master would expire one day, especially with his chosen lifestyle, he had never truly considered what he would do then. Wadsworth was a loyal butler, there was no question of that, but he had grown very close to the young vault dweller in the time he served. He would cherish the fond memories he had of Master James, but also never considered before that one day that's what their experiences would become. Memories.

"Death and bad luck, took your parents from you sir. Of course, rather than become a victim to it, you have done everything in your power to control your fate. You left vault 101 when you could have stayed and lived a safe happy life, to search for the only family you had left. You spent all your time helping others, while still searching for you father. In your effort to control the chaos that washes over this wasteland you managed to defy the fate many would have destined you for. You, master, have managed to defy death and fate at every turn. If that makes you a lost cause, than I believe you as poorly educated as mister Jericho." Wadsworth responded, his words cheering James up a great deal.

Wadsworth quickly returned to his work, so as not to arise suspicion in his master, and finished off the shave with great care. After all, it would be an embarrassing state of affairs if he were to do a bad job at shaving his master's face. Finishing up, he handed his master a towel to clean off the foam from his face. Holding up a mirror, Wadsworth revealed the results of his work. Running a hand along his face, James admired the job his butler had done at both the haircut and shave he had given him. He looked like a different person, were it not for the scars on his face and neck, he would have been positive it was an imposter looking at him.

"Thoughts, sir?" Wadsworth asked, pride in his tone.

"Looks good. Great job, Wadsworth." James said smiling, as Wadsworth began to untie the sheet from James's neck.

"I don't deserve you, Wadsworth." James smirked, getting up from his seat and smiling.

"No, sir, you don't." Wadsworth acknowledged.

James would always appreciate everything Wadsworth had done for him, which made what he was about to ask so hard.

* * *

James waited outside the large metal gates of Megaton for the group with Dogmeat, recalling all of the memories he had in this town, both good and bad. Despite its faults, he really loved living here. Making it all the more difficult that he was leaving this place to go on this mission. The doors opened wide, and out marched James's requested audience. Jericho, the vault dwellers, and the brotherhood members all exited the city together as per James's instructions. Turning from them, he looked out into the wasteland and smiled widely. To Susie's surprise, James had cut his hair and shaved his beard. This transformation made James look not only different, but much more handsome than before, and also revealed some scars previously covered by hair. Susie felt a blush coming on, as she didn't want to be caught staring at him.

"You sent your errand boy for us?" Lyons asked, her tone annoyed at James's lack of a greeting. As if they didn't deserve one.

"I aint no fucken errand boy, bitch." Jericho barked, glaring at the power armoured women.

"What's wrong James?" Susie asked, as James pulled one of the few cigars he had left out of his pocket and lit it.

"It's really amazing, isn't it?" James asked, raising his hand and motioning towards the land ahead of him. Radiated, dangerous, hostile, but a place where life did thrive.

"All of this. It's amazing how in the end, the entire world was fucked up just because two sides couldn't get along." James said, taking a deep drag of his cigar.

"When we were kids…in the vault…we were told we had to grow up, get a job, get married, have children, and become a part of the community. The funny thing is…they never told us just how strange the world outside really is." James started, his hand running over his faithful canines head.

"It's so much darker…so much more dangerous…and so much better." James smiled, turning around to his audience.

"Why did you bring us all here?" Lyons asked, her glare piercing through James.

"I propose a truce." James stated, letting a puff of smoke escape his lips.

"Excuse me?" Lyons asked, raising an eyebrow to James.

"You heard me…I have decided to help you unlock my father's research." James admitted, drawing heavily on the cigar.

"Excuse me if I am not cautious, considering the fact you were willing to kill me the other day to prevent us from your father's data." Lyons responded, her tone displaying her unease with how easily James was cooperating with the Brotherhood all of a sudden.

"Trust me; I am not a fan of the idea either. But, the Brotherhood didn't pull the trigger that killed my father. That was the Enclave. The Brotherhood sat there and let it happen, sure. But, their the lesser of two evils in the end." James explained, frowning at the Brotherhood members before him.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." One of the Brotherhood members said.

"Two conditions and I will help the Brotherhood unlock my father's data." James started, rising to fingers towards the group.

"What are they?" Lyons asked, as James let out another puff of smoke from his mouth.

"First off, I want complete immunity for any and all crimes I have committed towards the Brotherhood. I don't like the idea of getting shot on site when we make it to your little clubhouse." James explained, looking towards Sara Lyons.

"Fine. And the second condition?" Sara asked, as James looked at her as he finished his cigar.

"I want sanctuary. Shelter, food, and protection, the whole deal." James stated, throwing what was left of the cigar on the ground and stepping on it.

"Of course you can-"

"Not for me. For them." James interrupted, pointing towards Butch and Susie.

"Wait, what?" Butch asked, looking confused at James.

"They're just two vaulties. The wont survive out here without a safe place to live." James explained, looking at Lyons.

"I'll have to discuss things with the Elder, but I am sure we can arrange that." Sara Lyons responded, as James offered her his metallic hand in agreement.

"It's a deal then." James said, looking at Sara.

"Yes." Sara responded, grabbing the hand and shaking it.

"The fuck are we doing, kid?" Jericho asked James, anger in his tone, but also surprise.

"We're going to war, Jericho." James responded, causing Jericho to crack a smile upon hearing this.

"Fucking Aye!" Jericho said, cocking his gun in excitement.

"Let's get moving. Susie, Butch, your bags are there." James said pointing towards two duffle bags on the ground, before walking out into the wasteland with Dogmeat. The group followed behind him soon after.

Susie was in shock, as she couldn't believe that James had just agreed to help the Brotherhood. What little she knew about them, she was positive that James was not their biggest fan. So to have heard him say that he was willing to help and to make them agree to giving Butch and her a place to live just caused more questions to bubble inside her. Was she no longer welcome in his home? Christine used to say that sex complicates things way too much, and that it was better to make a guy wait. So, maybe she was right. This thought made her feel cheap. She had to prove it wasn't the case, otherwise she would just feel worse and worse the more she let it eat away at her. Running up ahead of the others towards James and Dogmeat, Susie needed to ask talk to him.

"James?" Susie started, finally catching up with James and Dogmeat.

"What?" James asked, not halting his movement to talk to Susie.

"Um…are we okay?" Susie asked, this time causing James to stop in his tracks.

"Isn't that my line?" James asked, raising an eyebrow towards Susie.

"Well…I know you didn't mean to do that after..." Susie started, her cheeks growing bright red as she recalled the night before. Their bodies wrapped around each other, close enough to hear the others heartbeat.

"After what?" James asked, much to Susie's shock and dismay.

"You know…" Susie started her face even redder than she wanted it to be at this moment.

"Yeah, I know, just messing with you." James said, a smile crossing his face again.

"Can you not be an asshole right now?" Susie asked, punching James in the arm.

"Sure. I can try." James chuckled, rubbing the spot that she had punched.

"Look, I know it's kind of last minute. So, I am sorry you guys got caught up in all this." James explained, apologizing for the last minute trip he had roped the two into.

"Its fine…I just wanted to say goodbye to Wadsworth. Now he probably thinks I'm rude." Susie said, concerned about how the wonderful robot butler must think of her right now.

"He won't…I promise." James promised, as the memory of his last minutes in his home came flooding back to him.

* * *

_"What was the other request sir?" Wadsworth asked, as James stood with his head hanging and fists clinched._

_"I just wanted to tell you, how much I appreciated everything you have ever done for me. I cheated death so many times, thanks to you." James confessed, tears forming in his eyes as he spoke._

_"Sir, I would be blushing were I capable of doing so at this moment. You give me far too much credit." Wadsworth stated, joy in his tone as he spoke._

_"You're wrong. Wadsworth, you are an amazing friend, and a hell of a butler. I never deserved someone as patient and helpful as you." James interrupted, holding back his tears as best he could_

_"That is simply not true, sir." Wadsworth objected._

_"Wadsworth, I want you to believe me when I say this is one of the hardest things I have to do." James admitted, clearing his nose as he tried to compose himself, a tear running down his cheek._

_"Erase your memories of me." James said bluntly. There was a noticeable pause and stillness in the air, as the two looked at each other._

_"Sir….I…" Wadsworth started._

_"As your master, you are obligated to do what I say…and I order you to erase every memory you have of me in your memory banks." James interrupted, shouting at his butler._

_"I think doing that would be unwise." Wadsworth responded, also raising his voice towards his master._

_"Well it's not a request anymore, it's an order! Isn't that what butlers? Obey their masters, no matter what?!" James barked, more tears forming as he asked his loyal friend to forget he existed._

_"Are you sure, you want me to carry out this order, sir?" Wadsworth asked, not wanting to violate what it was to be a good butler._

_"Yes…" James said, tears dropping down his cheeks as Dogmeat rubbed up against his master's leg in an attempt to comfort him._

_"I understand, sir." Wadsworth responded, melancholic in his tone._

_"Your father would be proud of the man you have become, I know I am." Wadsworth stated, pride in his voice._

_"Thank you." James said, taking a step towards Wadsworth._

_"If I might make one final request sir, before I erase my memories of you?" Wadsworth asked._

_"Please…don't add me to the weight of souls you already carry on your back." Wadsworth pleaded._

_"Sure…" James smiled._

_"Know this sir, I was truly honoured to serve a man such as yourself, and it was a pleasure to be your butler." Wadsworth explained, before his master wrapped his arms around him and hugged him._

_"Thank you, Wadsworth. For everything. I'm going to miss you." James said crying, feeling like he was about to lose his father all over again._

_"And I, you, sir." Wadsworth said, as he wrapped his tendrils carefully around his master._

* * *

James stood still as he recalled that moment, and held back the sadness twitching in his gut. This was it, it was time to move on and finish what had started all this almost two years ago. It was time to finish his father's research. With this in mind, he continued on his journey into the wasteland and towards the Citadel. Home to the Brotherhood of Steel.

* * *

_**A/N: So there it is, the sad end to Megaton stories. My proof reader has warned me that I am going to be making some enemies by ending this story in such a way, but I assure you I have a plan of some sort. So heres things I wanted to point out:**_

_**1\. Opening the story with Susie finishing up telling the story of what has just happened to Nova and Jenny was a creative decision that was originally going to be from James's perspective to Jericho and Butch, but I felt that coming from Susie's perspective would be better. After all, for the majority of the story we heard things from her point of view. So why not open the last chapter with it.**_

_**2\. The choking joke was something I felt would be brought up by Jericho when he was told the story. It also is something I would assume Nova ran into a few clients that probably would have been into it as well.**_

_**3\. Radio contact with Pinkerton seemed the only logical way he could contact the robotics expert without A) Running into Enclave [their right beside Rivet City after all] B) Carrying the Vaulties through the DC Ruins, which seems like more danger than its worth and C) Getting ripped apart by Supermutants. Dc is a hellhole, and James doesnt have the time to watch his and everyone elses back just to get a check up on his arm. Besides, radio contact made sense to me as he had to keep in contact with his mechanic somehow.**_

_**4\. Bryan Wilkes is alive. Finally confirmation. I can not tell you the amount of people asked me whether he was alive or dead or what. I suppose since I do have a tendency to change my mind now and again they were justified but heres confirmation.**_

_**5\. James's plan is going to be expressed in the next story, which will be published sooner hopefully rather than later.**_

_**So thank you all for being there and reading my story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed coming up with each story and each character trait. Despite all the things that got in my way while writing this, I found it very enjoyable. Thank you all again, and I hope to see you all later. **_


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